Questions new Govt figure on landless in J&K
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, July 5: The former Chief Minister and president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti today urged people of Jammu and Kashmir to unite and raise their voices against their identity.
While addressing a press conference, Mehbooba said: “I urge the people of Jammu and Kashmir to unite and raise their voices, just like the people of Ladakh, against the attack on our identity, whether it is Dogra identity or Kashmiri identity.”
The PDP president accused the Government of opening flood gates in Jammu and Kashmir and questioned the number of landless people shown by the administration who are being provided land for construction of houses.
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“As per the 2011 census of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and another Government report released in 2021, there are approximately 19,047 landless individuals in the region”, she said.
“Therefore, if we consider the Government’s own records, there are only 19,047 landless people in Jammu and Kashmir. However, the LG’s statement suggests that they aim to provide land or homes to around 2 lakh people, with 145,000 already receiving approval. Assuming an average family size of four people, this would amount to a population of 10 lakhs,” Mehbooba said.
The PDP president said that since the abrogation of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir has been treated as spoils of war, following a historical tradition where the winners would distribute land, property, and even people among themselves. “By encouraging external investment, they are inviting poverty and slums. It is unclear what their intentions are,” she asked.
Mehbooba said that she has apprehensions that these floodgates are particularly expected to open in Jammu. “I am pleased that the people of Jammu are voicing their concerns because they understand that the consequences will first affect Jammu before spreading to Kashmir. Jammu, Kathua, and Reasi will all be washed away, and we are already witnessing the establishment of factories, roadside stalls, rickshaw drivers, and auto drivers by outsiders. While Kashmir has an economy based on horticulture, tourism, and handicrafts, Jammu has no such industries and is dependent on business. If they bring in outsiders and plan to settle around 10 lakh people under the guise of housing for the homeless, it raises questions about their true intentions and why they are deliberately provoking the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” she said.
“I want to salute the people of Ladakh, including those involved in tourism and religious organizations, as they announce that they will not allow outside investment in Ladakh. They will initiate non-cooperation on July 15. They have even warned a major hotelier to cease hotel construction in the area. I strongly support the people of Ladakh,” she said.
“After the abrogation of Article 370, the forest rights are now entitled to the Gujjar and Bakkerwal people here. They have full rights over the forest and its resources. However, the government wants to dislodge them from the forests and provide them with only 5 marlas of land. What will they do? They rely on grazing their goats. It seems they want to dismantle all the regions of Jammu and Kashmir. My request to the government is to reconsider the dangerous play they have started by removing people from here and turning it into something else. We will not allow this to happen,” she said.
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