After stripping off special status, India introduces domicile law in IoK

• Those who have resided for a period of 15 years in IoK are eligible to become permanent residents, the law states.

After stripping off the special status granted to Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK), India has now introduced a new domicile law for the Kashmiris.

In a gazette notification on Wednesday, the government said that a person residing in IoK for 15 years will now be able to call the territory his or her place of domicile. The law also said that a person who has studied for a period of seven years and appeared in Class 10th and 12th examination in a school within the region shall be deemed to be the domicile of IoK, international media reported.

The definition under Section 3A also includes children of those Central government officials, all India services officers, officials of PSUs and autonomous body of Central government, public sector banks, officials of statutory bodies, officials of central universities and recognised research institutes of Central government 'who have served in Jammu and Kashmir for a total period of ten years or children of parents who fulfil any of the conditions in sections'.

Former chief minister of IoK, Omar Abdullah took to his Twitter handle and criticized the new law.

You can imagine how hollow the domicile law is from the fact that even the new party created with Delhi’s blessings, whose leaders were lobbying in Delhi for this law, have been forced to criticise the #JKdomicilelaw

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 1, 2020

Last year in August, the Indian government abrogated Article 370 from its constitution and divided the valley into two union territories. It also imposed a curfew and suspended internet services in the region.