Government forces in riot gear patrolled streets in Kashmir\u2019s main city of Srinagar in anticipation of anti-India protests
\nnews agency
\nSRINAGAR
\nIndian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) was hit Saturday by its biggest general strike since losing its semi-autonomous status last year, with local anger brewing over a new measure allowing outsiders to buy land in the disputed territory.
\nThe Himalayan region has been fighting the Indian rule for more than 70 years and has seen decades of unrest that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
\nPrime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s Hindu nationalist government changed the constitution to bring the territory under direct federal rule last year, sparking protests and a months-long internet blackout.
\nShops and businesses stayed shut on Saturday and most residents kept at home after a shutdown was called by a coalition of political and religious groups that want self-determination for the region.
\nExtra Indian security forces patrolled the nearly empty streets.
\nThis week New Delhi announced the abolition of laws that meant only the 12 million permanent Occupied Kashmir residents could own land there.
\nEven Kashmir groups normally supportive of Indian rule have opposed the changes, which also allow the Indian armed forces to designate strategic zones for building military infrastructure.
\nMany Kashmiris accuse the government of seeking to water down the local population in India\u2019s only Muslim-majority territory.
\nFormer chief minister Omar Abdullah said Occupied Kashmir had been \u201cput up for sale and left bereft of any basic protections\u201d.
\n\u201cThe amendments add to the fear of demographic changes. They want to alter the character of this place,\u201d said Abdullah, who was among hundreds of political leaders detained for months during last year\u2019s protests.
\nMore than 500,000 Indian troops are based in Kashmir, where a freedom movement has been flourishing for more than three decades.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Government forces in riot gear patrolled streets in Kashmir\u2019s main city of Srinagar in anticipation of anti-India protests news agency SRINAGAR Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) was hit Saturday by its biggest general strike since losing its semi-autonomous status last year, with local anger brewing over a new measure allowing outsiders to buy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":153393,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-153379","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n