Ishfaq-ul-Hassan | India Tomorrow
SRINAGAR—Fear of demographic changes have gripped people of Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir after the BJP-led central government notified new rules allowing “outsiders” to buy and own land in the union territory.
According to the 2011 census, the united Jammu and Kashmir’s population was 1,25, 41,302. Around 68.31 % of people are Muslims, while 28.44 % are Hindus. Christians are 0.28 %; Jains are 0.02 %, Buddhists 0.90 % and Sikhs 1.87 %. Jammu and Kashmir was the only Muslim majority state before it was downgraded into two union territories on August 5 last year.
The new land law is being seen as an attempt to alter the Muslim majority character of Jammu and Kashmir. Former chief minister Omar Abdullah blamed the BJP led government for trying to fulfill the agenda of RSS by converting Muslim majority Jammu and Kashmir into a Muslim-minority area.
“The Central government’s order has made it clear that they want to wipe out the character of a Muslim majority state. The people of Jammu would be unhappy with this land ownership system. Before it impacts the people of Kashmir, it will impact people in Jammu,” Omar told a television channel.
Under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Adaptation of Central Laws) Third Order, 2020, anyone can buy land as words such as domicile or PRC holders don’t find mention.
“Nobody can buy land there and in numerous other such states. J&K has been put up for sale. They want to alter the character of this place. Basic protections that are available to similar states like Himachal Pradesh have not been given to us. The industrial growth argument is a big bogey. In Jammu, there were big industries before this. The problem for the industry is not Article 370 but militancy. The BJP and the RSS do not want a Muslim majority state in this country. This is their agenda of Akhand Bharat,” Omar said.
Under new rules an army officer of the rank of Corps Commander can recommend the land for strategic use. “We are a civilian country with civilian law, not military law. The decisions for land should be left for civilians. If it is because there is a border around then why can’t such things be done in other states where borders exist,” he said.
In fact, all major political parties except for BJP and Congress are up in arms against BJP led government for putting Kashmir “up for sale” by virtue of this order.
“Yet another step that’s part of GOI’s nefarious designs to disempower & disenfranchise people of J&K. From the unconstitutional scrapping of Article 370 to facilitating loot of our natural resources & finally putting land in J&K up for sale. After failing on all fronts to provide roti & rozgar to people, BJP is creating such laws to whet the appetite of a gullible electorate. Such brazen measures reinforce the need of people of all three provinces of J&K to fight unitedly,” said Mehbooba Mufti, former chief minister.
Massive protests rocked Jammu with PDP activists taking to the streets demanding rollback of the law. A few days back, BJP activists had attacked the PDP office and unfurled the tricolour at its headquarter after Mehbooba said she will not hold any other flag until the flag of the erstwhile J&K state was returned.
What marked a new change was that the Hurriyat Conference has broken silence for the first time since August 5 last year. Leaving behind the fear factor, Hurriyat called for a general strike on October 31 against the land law.
Hurriyat Conference headed by house-arrested chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, senior leaders Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat, Bilal Ghani Lone and Masroor Abbas Ansari strongly denounced the “incessant anti-people orders being issued by the Government of India at frequent intervals to intimidate and psychologically torture the people of J&K”. All Party Hurriyat Conference said that this imperial approach is bound to fail.
“The government of India is snatching the rights of Jammu and Kashmir people in order to settle outsiders here. People of J&K are not some dumb driven cattle who will yield to these imperial laws. People have proved by the strength of their unfailing will and their immense sacrifices, that they are not a dead but alive and determined nation who will not withstand such assaults upon them and their motherland,” said Hurriyat in a statement.
Sensing anger, J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha tried to douse flames by assuring that no agricultural land would be allotted to any non-residents of J&K. “However, for industrial investment and employment opportunities, non-agricultural land would be optimally utilized,” he added.
