SRINAGAR: Complete shutdown was observed in Kargil, Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, on the second consecutive day, on Thursday, in protest against the Indian authorities’ decision of dividing Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories.

The day is also being observed as a Black Day in Kargil. All shops, business establishments, schools and majority of offices are closed on the call given by the Joint Action Committee (JAC), the Kashmir Media Service (KMS) reported.

Chairman JAC, Kargil, Nasir Hussain Munshi said that the people of Kargil were forced to come on streets again by the authorities, who betrayed them by not fulfilling their 14 demands which were put before Governor Satya Pal Malik and Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam earlier. He said the people of Kargil were always against bifurcation of the territory.

India officially divides IOK into two union territories

In an event of far-reaching consequences, occupied Kashmir was officially split by New Delhi into two union territories at midnight Wednesday against the wishes of the people of the territory and in breach of international laws and India’s own constitution, the KMS reported.

Narendra Modi-led Indian government on August 05, 2019, had announced to repeal the special status of occupied Kashmir and divide it into two union territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

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Indian Administrative Service Officers, Girish Chandra Murmu and Radha Krishna Mathur, have been appointed the new Lieutenant Governors for the UTs of J&K and Ladakh respectively.

The Indian Home Ministry in a notification issued at midnight Wednesday replaced occupied Kashmir with the “Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir” and “Union Territory of Ladakh” and announced omission of permanent residents or hereditary state subjects. This move is aimed at changing the demographic composition of occupied Kashmir by allowing the Indian citizens to get permanently settled in the territory. The Indian Ministry also announced a slew of measures, including application of Indian Central Laws to occupied Kashmir.

With the formation of two union territories, the President’s Rule imposed in the territory has been revoked through an order issued by the Indian President, Ram Nath Kovind. After the collapse of Mehbooba Mufti-led puppet regime in June 2018, occupied Kashmir was put under Governor’s Rule. The territory was under President’s Rule since 19th December 2018.

On the other hand, thousands of migrant labourers have left occupied Kashmir during past two weeks after the killing of 11 truckers and labourers in South Kashmir.

According to an official, there were around 50,000 non-Kashmiri labourers working in the territory in mid October this year when the first trucker from Rajasthan was killed two weeks ago. He said that around 25,000 labourers had fled during last one week and recent killing of 5 West Bengali labourers had led to more panic and exodus of these workers.