On Thursday, the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) destroyed about a dozen stores constructed by Kashmiri Pandit migrants on property that the former J&K government had first settled on approximately thirty years prior.
The JDA refuted the store owners’ allegation that they were not notified in advance of the demolition effort. Political groups such as the BJP, PDP, and Apni Party, along with a number of Kashmiri Pandit organizations, condemned the JDA decision and demanded that new stores be built for the displaced community’s impacted members.
Sharing the video clip of the affected people on X, former J&K chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti described the demolition drive as “another blow to a community that has endured unimaginable hardships for decades”.
“What began as targeted demolitions of assets of the tribal community has now been extended to Kashmiri Pandits, further deepening their sense of alienation and loss,” she said, urging the Omar Abdullah government to intervene.
In the video shared by her, an elderly man is seen sobbing while saying: “Where will we go? We have lost everything.”
Another asked, “I think my heart will stop and I will collapse. What have they done to us?”
According to Pankaj Sharma, the vice chairman of the JDA, the impacted individuals were notified on January 20 and subsequently provided the JDA with a written commitment to leave the property by the end of February. But he claimed that because of the model code of conduct that was put in place for the Lok Sabha elections and then for the Assembly elections, the JDA was unable to pursue the issue after the deadline had passed. According to Sharma, the Kashmiri Pandit migrants were first housed in one-room domed tenements on 25 kanals of land in the Muthi area. Later, these were converted into two-room apartments in Purkhoo and Jagti. He said that many people had not left even after this move.
The site, Sharma said, had subsequently been identified for the construction of 208 flats for economically weaker sections of society, and as the tendering process for it was also complete, the land had to be handed over to the successful bidder. He also said before carrying out the demolition, JDA officials called the original allottees to the spot and opened the locks in their presence. He claimed that only one or two people were creating an issue.
Meanwhile, Relief Commissioner Arvind Karwani visited the area to assess the situation and assured the affected families that new shops would be constructed for them in the area.
“These shops were on JDA land. The relief organisation has floated tenders for constructing a shopping complex in Muthi Camp Phase II. Ten shops will be constructed soon and allotted to these shopkeepers,” he said.
After videos of the affected people sobbing were shared widely on the Internet, the issue triggered a political storm.
J&K Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari said in a post on X, “If demolition was necessary, the administration should have first arranged alternatives to protect their livelihoods. Such actions are disappointing, especially under an elected government that is expected to prioritise the welfare of its citizens.” He called on the administration to ensure justice for the affected shop owners.
BJP Spokesperson G L Raina, who visited the site and met the affected families, termed the demolition “a revenge action soon after the return of the NC-Congress government headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah”.
