“Imagined fears”

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in a recent interview has claimed that whatever are the fears among the people of Jammu and Kashmir that their land is up for sale are more imagined than real.

He said that not a single person has so far purchased land from outside in Jammu and Kashmir since August 5, 2019. He challenged the interviewer to present him with a single name who has purchased the land to supplement the fears of common people that the central government will snatch their land.

All said and done not only the PAGD leadership but most of the political outfits in Jammu regions have opposed the amendments in the land laws and have said that Jammu region was more vulnerable to such purchases then Kashmir valley. It is not only that such fears are in the minds of people in Jammu and Kashmir but even in Ladakh union territory, all the political and social organizations have come together to make a joint front to fight against any such amendments in the land laws in that hilly region.

Even the people of Kargil and Leh recently decided to jointly fight back against any new land laws in the union territory of Ladakh which will provide any leverage to the outsiders to purchase land and they have appealed central government to announce some fresh law on the pattern of article 370 for the preservation of their land, jobs and distinct identity. The people of Jammu and Kashmir want safeguards for their land for the jobs and for their identity. This is one of the reasons that all the mainstream political parties have come together under the umbrella of PAGD to fight together for the restoration of article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.