One of the most far-reaching consequences of the revocation of Article 370 has been the introduction of new domicile laws that allow non-Kashmiris to settle permanently in Jammu & Kashmir and purchase land there.
What Article 35A Provided
Article 35A gave the Jammu & Kashmir state legislature the power to define “permanent residents” of the state and restrict land ownership to those permanent residents. This provision prevented the demographic transformation of a Muslim-majority region through settlement.
The New Domicile Rules
Following the revocation, new domicile rules were introduced. Any person who has resided in J&K for 15 years can now apply for domicile status. Non-Kashmiris can now purchase land. The barriers that protected the demographic character of the region are gone.
Kashmiri civil society groups and international human rights organisations have raised concerns that these changes could facilitate a deliberate demographic transformation of the region — diluting the Kashmiri Muslim majority that is central to any future self-determination process.