Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 2: Scores of Kisaan Tehreek Association (KTA) members protested here today against the government’s ongoing demolition and eviction drive in Jammu and Kashmir.
The demonstrators gathered at Partap Park, Press Enclave and demanded an immediate end to the campaign of eviction and demolition that is now taking place throughout Jammu and Kashmir.
They criticized the initiative as being unjust and biased towards farmers and ordinary residents who have lived in the region for decades. “The first settlement of land in Jammu and Kashmir took place under British administration in 1850. The Maharaja of the state, who ruled at the time, then ordered the merging of khacharai (grazing land) with the Shamlaat and distributed the land to the farmers with full rights,” a protestor said.
He stated that there have been numerous amendments to the laws since then, granting full rights to the people who have been occupying the Shamilaat land for the past 15 years. “We demand that the government stop razing buildings and evicting people from them right away. We have lived on this land for more than 50 years, and we truly ask that the authorities give us an explanation for their choice,” he said
The protestors said that the prior governments aimed to increase food production by assisting landless, small, and marginal farmers, but the current regime is steadfastly determined to oppress the underprivileged, particularly farmers. “If they want to continue the practice, let them start from the Kanyakumari. Why target only Kashmiris?” they asked.
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