Searching for information has become easier all thanks to the internet. We live in an era where Google can answer all your questions and more. Google also has a unique feature that tells you what topics are trending and by how much.
With the recent developments in India regarding Article 370 & Article 35A, people from across the country can now own a property in Kashmir too. The Indian government divided Jammu and Kashmir into two separate union territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Article 35A of our constitution decreed that only permanent residents of Kashmir could buy property in the state. And after the government’s latest announcement, Indians across the country have been looking up ways to buy property in Kashmir.
Google searches for “Kashmir Property”, “Kashmir land” and “Kashmir flats” have spiked from nearly zero to their highest level ever right after the official announcement was made. The searches rose slightly on the night of 4th August, when internet services were first to cut in Kashmir, perhaps following rumors that the government was looking to abolish Article 35A.
But the searches started rising steadily at 10:30 am, around the time Amit Shah started speaking in Parliament. They peaked at 1:30 pm, and then rose through the day, and finally peaked at 12:30 am the next day.
These searches came from all over India. However most searches for “Kashmir property”, came from Delhi presumably because of its relative proximity to Kashmir.
Interest also seemed to be more pronounced in the states around Kashmir, indicating people from nearby states would look to buy property there. Uttrakhand, Punjab, and Haryana were all in the top five. Searches were also high in Maharashtra, again perhaps because of the high spending power in its capital of Mumbai.
