Bijbehara residents protest proposed rail line over displacement, livelihood threats
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, residents of the Bijbehara area in south Kashmir staged a protest against the proposed Bijbehara–Pahalgam railway line, expressing serious concerns over the deliberate targeting of orchards, paddy land, and residential houses by the Modi-led Indian regime.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the protesters said the proposed rail alignment would pass through fertile agricultural land and densely populated residential areas, threatening the livelihoods of dozens of families dependent on horticulture and farming. The protest followed a fresh survey conducted by Indian authorities in the village, which triggered widespread fear of displacement among locals.
“We are not against development or the railway project, but this alignment will destroy our orchards, paddy fields and even our homes,” said a local resident, adding that the project would deprive families of their only source of income and shelter.
Veeri village in Bijbehara comprises around 100 households, most of whom rely entirely on agriculture and horticulture for survival. Villagers said they had already surrendered a significant portion of their land for the proposed four-lane Uranhall–Pahalgam highway, a bypass of the Khanabal–Pahalgam road, and now fear losing whatever remains.
Protesters said even educated youth in the village are forced to depend on farming due to a lack of employment opportunities. “If our land is taken away, we will be left with nothing,” a protester said, questioning where the affected families would relocate.
Women also participated in the protest, voicing deep anxiety over displacement. “Our families have lived here for generations,” a woman protester said. “We don’t want compensation; we want to protect our homes and livelihood.”
The demonstrators demanded immediate intervention by the Chief Minister to either scrap the project or alter its alignment to safeguard agricultural land and residential areas.
Meanwhile, National Conference MLA from Bijbehara, Syed Bashir Ahmad Veeri, extended support to the protesters, terming the proposed railway line ill-conceived and against public interest. He questioned the necessity of extending a railway line to Pahalgam and said that even if required, alternative routes were available along the banks of the Lidder River. Veeri said he has taken up the issue with the authorities and warned that he would lead a delegation to New Delhi if the concerns of the villagers were not addressed. Notably, residents of Dirhama village in Bijbehara had also protested against the same railway project earlier, citing similar fears over the loss of orchards and farmland.
