While the importance of safeguarding the nation is beyond question, what is completely unjustified is the manner in which the properties of already-victimized citizens are being misused by paramilitary forces.
Kundan Kashmiri
One of the most painful and long-neglected issues faced by the displaced Kashmiri Pandit (KP) community is the continued occupation of their properties in the Kashmir Valley not only by land mafia, goons and land encroachers but also by paramilitary forces.
For decades now, countless homes along with vast stretches of land belonging to these exiled families have been forcibly taken over under the pretext of national security requirements. While the importance of safeguarding the nation is beyond question, what is completely unjustified is the manner in which the properties of already-victimized citizens are being misused, undervalued, and treated as dispensable.
These homes and lands, many located in key towns and prominent locations of the Valley, today hold very high market value, running into lakhs and crores of rupees. Yet, the rent being paid for them is nothing short of a joke—paltry, outdated, and laughably low. It is difficult to comprehend how such large and valuable assets can be used for decades while their legal owners are handed a few hundred or a couple of thousand rupees as compensation. This deliberate undervaluation is not only shameful but speaks volumes about the institutional disregard for the property rights of displaced Kashmiri Pandits.
Successive governments have failed to establish any fair mechanism for rental reassessment. There is no provision for adjusting rent based on inflation, no market-linked appraisal, and no concern for the fact that these lands and homes lie in areas that are now prime and commercially thriving. In return, the legal owners—already suffering in exile—are mocked by a compensation system that belongs to another era and another economy.
To make matters worse, there are numerous reports of unauthorized constructions, encroachments, and structural alterations being carried out on these properties without any permission or consent of the owners. Entire buildings have been expanded, new structures erected, and boundaries redrawn—as though these homes and lands are government assets. This is nothing short of institutional land grabbing under the veil of national security. It is illegal, unethical, and in direct violation of the rights of Kashmiri Pandits.
Even more disturbing is the response when the rightful owners seek vacation of their properties. In many cases, when families have humbly approached the authorities or security establishments to vacate their homes and land, they are met with delays, excuses, denials, or outright ignorance. This is a deeply distressing situation—where the very administration and forces entrusted to protect citizens’ rights are involved, directly or indirectly, in the prolonged injustice against displaced Kashmiri Pandits. It is tragic that such acts are happening not at the hands of enemies, but under the watch of our own systems.
The tragedy lies in the complete disconnect of those managing these occupations from the ground realities of the displaced community. They have no understanding of the trauma, the sacrifice, and the heritage attached to these homes and lands. Nor do they appear interested in evaluating the present market worth of these assets. Instead, what we witness is silence, inaction, and indifference—tools that continue to punish a community that has already borne the brunt of history’s cruelty.
We are not asking for a favour—we are demanding what is rightfully and legally ours. The Government must immediately order a time-bound and independent review of all such occupied properties. Rentals must be brought in line with current market rates, and the arrears of years of unfair usage must be paid to the owners. Moreover, all illegal constructions and permanent modifications must be halted and legally investigated. No such work should be allowed without the documented, written approval of the legitimate property holders.
Let it be made clear that the properties of displaced Kashmiri Pandits—homes and lands alike—are not abandoned plots or state assets. They are private, ancestral holdings, preserved by the blood, sweat, and memories of generations. To continue misusing them, without fair rent and compensation or regard, is an act of deep injustice and moral failure.
The time to act is now. Let this not remain one more chapter in a long history of betrayal. Let this be the beginning of legal justice, rightful compensation, and basic respect for those who have lost so much, and yet remained loyal to the nation.
(The author is a senior leader of KP community & President, Kashmiri Pandit Conference – KPC. The views expressed in the article are of the author and not that of the Straight Talk Communications)