Since January 2023, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has taken over land equivalent to the size of Hong Kong under the pretext of removing illegal encroachments, following the region’s special status revocation in 2019, according to a report by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).
The 56-page report highlights the “drastic” legal and policy changes post-2019, which have severely impacted Kashmiri human rights, particularly concerning land ownership.
The report states that changes to land laws have led to the forced eviction of thousands of Kashmiris without due process, violating international human rights obligations.
It calls for an independent investigation into these unlawful land seizures and compensation for those affected. The new laws allow any Indian citizen to purchase land in the region, leading to fears of demographic changes that threaten the identity of Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir.
The report also criticises the administration’s anti-encroachment drive, which has dispossessed the Gujjar and Bakkerwal communities and left residents fearing further land and property loss.
It highlights concerns that the land takeover is part of an “ethno-nationalist project targeting Muslim households”. The administration has yet to provide data on the structures demolished or the crops destroyed during the campaign.
Additionally, the report raises concerns about the development of Srinagar, with a plan to double the population by 2035, and the creation of a “Special Investment Corridor,” which could attract non-locals and alter the political and economic makeup of the region.
The report concludes by calling for the restoration of democratic rights in Jammu and Kashmir and highlights the research conducted by FIDH between January and August 2024, dedicated to human rights activist Khurram Pervez.
