People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration vows to fight for land rights of Kashmiris

SRINAGAR: The newly created People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) has said that it will continue to fight for the land rights of Kashmiris.

The PAGD issued a statement on Tuesday in which it said that “the alliance strongly condemns the repeal of J&K Land Laws thereby stripping the Permanent Residents of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh of exclusive right to acquire and hold immovable property in the State - now unconstitutionally divided into two Union Territories and granting such rights to non-state subjects.”

Terming the MHA order as a ‘huge betrayal’, Sajad Lone, the PAGD spokesperson, said that this is a massive assault on the rights of the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and grossly unconstitutional. 

“The alliance has vowed to fight the anti-Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh measure on all fronts,” Lone said.

“The repeal of Big Estates Abolition Act - first-ever agrarian reform in the subcontinent, is an insult to the sacrifices of thousands of freedom fighters and farmers who fought against an autocratic and oppressive rule and a crude attempt to rewrite history. The order made in exercise of powers under Reorganisation Act, 2019, it is stated, is yet another brazen violation of the principle of constitutional proprietary of fundamental importance to a constitutional democracy,” he added.

Sajad added that with a serious challenge to the 5th August 2019 decisions before the top Constitutional Court of the Country and the vires of Reorganisation Act under judicial scrutiny, the Central Government is under an obligation to desist from such acts, out of respect for the Apex Court.

“The unconstitutional measure is clearly designed as an attempt to pre-empt the outcome of the challenge before the Supreme Court. The assault on exclusive property rights apart, changes in urban development laws and creation of Security Zones is bound to prejudicially affect the environment and ecosystem in environmentally fragile regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh in utter disregard of grave environmental concerns” he added.