India unilaterally alter laws to intensify land grab in IIOJK
Over 2 million kanals seized, 1,054 kanals by Indian Army alone
Srinagar: The Indian government has unilaterally altered laws and passed bills, exerting absolute control over the lives of Kashmiris while pursuing a sustained campaign of land grabbing targeting Muslim locals in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, governance in IIOJK has been reduced to a tool of control rather than public service as New Delhi continues to snatch Muslim lands through government-controlled measures.
The J&K Reorganisation (Adaptation of State Laws) Fifth Order empowers the authorities to designate any area as “strategic” for the operational and training needs of the Indian Armed Forces. Under this provision, local property rights are being usurped after branding locals as “terrorists,” with land taken over for military and corporate purposes in violation of the fundamental rights of Kashmiris.
Amendments to the Jammu & Kashmir Agrarian Reforms Act, 1976 have further opened IIOJK’s agricultural land for farming, mortgages and leases by private entities from across India.
Reports indicate that a total of 1,054.751 kanals of land has been occupied by the Indian Army, while nearly 2 million kanals have already been confiscated.
In a parallel drive, shops and houses have been demolished without prior notice. The campaign systematically targets Muslim locals and their properties, portraying them as “encroachers” on their own land. The crackdown has also extended to the media.
Local journalists have been forced to remain silent and promote the Indian version of events. International media has largely been prevented from entering the region, while journalists have been summoned for questioning and charged with various offences.
Analysts say that under the BJP government, the takeover of Kashmiri land continues unabated as part of a broader policy to alter the demographic and economic landscape of IIOJK.
