Many families in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir have been evicted from their lands and homes as a result of the laws implemented there by Narendra Modi-led Indian government after repeal of the special status of the territory, says a report by BBC, Urdu Service.
BBC in its report, regarding the so-called anti-encroachment campaign, said the people in IIOJK say that the lands and houses being snatched from them have been in their possession for decades.
It said, in this bulldozer campaign, people’s houses and other properties are being demolished and this drive has once again raised concerns about the future of the Kashmiris. It said people who have been living in a place for decades are suddenly being told that this place is not theirs and they have no right to it.
The report said the Indian authorities are claiming that the campaign is only against the influential people who are occupying the state lands, but the facts on the ground are the opposite. The BBC report said that the Indian government had made tall claims and promises of development in the territory after the abrogation of its special status in 2019, but Kashmiris are deeply worried due to the steps taken and the laws implemented by India during the last over three and a half years.
It said the Kashmiris say that the actions are only aimed at grabbing their lands and properties and settling Indian Hindus there to change the demographic composition of the territory.
Amnesty report has raised many questions, as fol-lows: Has Indian government allowed any space so that safeguards against forced evictions are put in place before any evictions are carried out in accor-dance with international human rights norms? Has the due process of law been followed to provide appropriate relief to affected Muslim population? What is the check on discriminatory behaviour of state institutions and law enforcement agencies which continue to segregate Muslim population in this demolition drive?
As per their website, JCB India Limited is a leading manufacturer of earthmoving and construc-tion equipment in India.—NNI
