Last week witnessed a wave of bold assertions on social media claiming that the Union Home Ministry, under Amit Shah, has quietly executed 18 sweeping decisions in Jammu & Kashmir within just ten days. If true, these moves would represent a seismic shift in power dynamics, governance structures, and even the region’s demographic architecture. Yet — despite the viral excitement — none of these claims have been officially verified.
Consider some of the items: five lakh Hindu and Sikh families supposedly granted citizenship in J&K; full withdrawal of political powers from Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti; control of Hindu temples and the Waqf board shifted to the Home Ministry; banks and tourist and forest departments placed under direct Delhi oversight; the Secretariat permanently fixed in Jammu; the Chief Minister’s rank allegedly lowered from 7th to 15th in precedence. The list is dramatic, sweeping, and heavily loaded with retribution-style language.
But when one digs deeper, the evidence simply isn’t there. A fact-check of an earlier version of this list — which claimed only eight “great steps” back in 2020 — found the story was circulating without official reference. NewsChecker India labelled many of the items as unverified. Meanwhile, official press releases from the Ministry of Home Affairs for September/October 2025 make no mention of a consolidated “18-point action list” for J&K.
Why does this matter? Because narratives of sudden administrative seizure, reversal of privileges, and mass demographic re-engineering tap directly into long-standing grievances, fears, and suspicions in Kashmir. The idea that political heavyweights like Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti might be stripped of all authority, or that all Hindu and Sikh families could suddenly be categorically granted “citizenship” – these are the stories that fuel both hope and alarm. And when unsupported by documentation, they become potent propaganda tools.
Politically, the temptation is clear: A government that wants to demonstrate decisive action can benefit from the perception of radical reform. Alleging that the ‘old order’ has been purged, power has been re-centralized, and previously protected elites are now vulnerable – it offers a message of dominance and change. On the other hand, for the opposition or for those critical of over-reach, such lists feed a narrative of authoritarian centralization, undermining regional autonomy and democratic process.
And yet we must emphasize: allegation is not proof. Real actions against public figures, institutions or demographic groups require transparent legal processes, official notifications, and credible independent reportage. As of now, those appear to be missing in respect of the tabulated 18 items. That does not mean nothing has changed in J&K — the region remains under intense administrative, security, and constitutional transformation since the abrogation of Article 370, and many restructuring steps have been publicly documented. But the specific mythos of 18 marathon actions in ten days remains just that: a mythos.
For a robust democracy and a fair public debate, we need to interrogate such claims. Which decisions have actually been taken? Which remain rumours? Who benefits from circulating them? The answers matter – for the people of Jammu & Kashmir, for Indian federalism, and for democratic accountability.
As observers, journalists, and citizens, we must insist on three basics: official documentation of reform; scrutiny of rights-impact (especially on minorities and local communities); and time-bound transparency so that rumours don’t fill the vacuum. The stakes are too high for everything to be contested in WhatsApp forwards, Facebook posts, or unchecked tweets.
In short, if the Home Ministry has indeed taken all 18 steps, it should publish them, so the country knows. If not, those spreading the list owe the public a correction. Only then can we move from suspense and speculation to a real assessment of what governance in Kashmir means today.
