Farmers Protest as IIOJK Faces Land Grab for Satellite Townships

The Indian government’s plan to convert thousands of kanals of agricultural land into satellite townships in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) has sparked outrage among local farmers, who view the move as a direct attack on their livelihoods and a larger strategy to displace them.

In Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), revelations about the Indian government’s plan to transform thousands of kanals of agricultural land into satellite townships have triggered strong backlash from local farmers. These farmers fear that the conversion of their fertile land into urban housing projects could mirror the Israeli-style land seizures they believe are aimed at dispossessing them of their ancestral properties.

According to official data from the Housing and Urban Development Department, authorities have identified about 1,298.28 kanals (roughly 65.66 hectares) of land across several districts, including Pulwama, Bandipora, Jammu, Kathua, Srinagar, Ganderbal, and Poonch, for these housing developments. The Srinagar Development Authority has also earmarked 3,000 kanals along the highway bypass in Bemina for future housing projects. Farmers see these moves as part of a larger agenda to take away their only means of survival—agricultural land.

This proposed development plan, involving large portions of agricultural land being converted into concrete housing colonies, has met with strong resistance from local farmers. They fear the move is part of a broader strategy by the Indian government to undermine Kashmiri autonomy and control over land resources, a concern further fueled by comparisons to Israeli policies in Palestine.

Farmers like 63-year-old saffron grower Bashir Ahmad Dar from Pampore, who has already lost land to previous projects, express deep distress over the looming threat. “This land fed us for generations. Now they want to take away whatever remains,” Dar lamented. His sentiments reflect the anxiety of many farmers, whose families have relied on IIOJK’s fertile land for generations.

The controversy reached its peak in December, when hundreds of farmers took to the streets to protest the government’s decision to acquire agricultural land for these satellite townships. Environmental concerns have also emerged, as the transformation of karewa land—home to saffron, almonds, and apples—into urban settlements could disrupt the region’s fragile agricultural economy, known for its delicate ecological balance.

In the political sphere, Mehboob Beg, a spokesperson for the People’s Democratic Party, called for clarity regarding the allocation of the housing units. He questioned whether the properties would be given to local Kashmiris or to settlers from outside the region, a concern that has heightened fears of demographic changes in the area.

Further fueling these fears is the active involvement of the Indian army and security agencies in facilitating this land acquisition, a trend that has escalated significantly under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP regime. Local farmers and political leaders are increasingly alarmed at the accelerating pace of land seizures, which they see as an attempt to erode IIOJK’s cultural and political identity.

The government’s land acquisition plan for satellite townships in IIOJK has raised concerns of dispossession, environmental damage, and demographic shifts. The resistance from farmers and local leaders reflects a broader unease over the erosion of Kashmiri autonomy and livelihood, as agricultural land continues to be replaced by concrete structures under the ongoing development plans.