Demographic Terrorism and Colonialism: The Systematic Land Grab and Colonization of IIOJK through the Theft of 68,190 Kanals
February 25, 2026India claims it is bringing development to Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) but the data tells a story of a calculated heist. Since August 2019 the mask has fallen revealing an aggressive campaign to snatch land and erase local identity. By rewriting laws and deploying a massive administrative machinery India is systematically replacing native ownership with state control. This is not progress it is an organized land grab disguised as reform in IIOJK.
1. The Staggering Scale of Systematic Land Seizure
1.1 The Mathematical Reality of the Occupation
The numbers are terrifying for anyone who calls this land home. Official records reveal that 68,190 kanals and 19 marlas of departmental land has been handed over to various Indian government departments since 2019. This massive transfer happened the moment legal protections were destroyed. Additionally 7,495 kanals and 10 marlas were specifically allotted to Indian agencies. The total value of this allotted land stands at a staggering Rs 10,506.75 lakh. India is treating the soil of IIOJK like a prize of war signing away thousands of acres with a simple stroke of a pen.
1.2 Giving Away the Soil for Free
While locals are harassed for every inch of their property the authorities have been handing out land for nothing. They transferred 44,130 kanals and 15 marlas without charging any transfer value. It is a free for all for Indian departments. The Revenue Department moved 8,103 kanals while Divisional Commissioners handed over 9,086 kanals. The pace is relentless. In 2020 alone they grabbed 24,480 kanals. By 2023 another 5,728 kanals went to Indian agencies followed by 10,454 kanals in 2024. This is a rapid and non stop theft of resources from IIOJK.
2. Legal Gymnastics and the Destruction of Protections
2.1 The Death of Article 370 and the New Lawless Era
Before August 5 2019 Article 370 and Article 35A were the only things stopping outsiders from swallowing the region. These laws ensured only permanent residents could own land. India scrapped these protections and forced over 800 central laws onto IIOJK. They did not just change the rules they burned the old rulebook to make it easy for non locals to take over everything the natives once owned.
2.2 The Domicile Flood and Four Million New Certificates
In 2020 India opened the floodgates with new domicile rules. Now over 4 million domicile certificates have been issued in just a few years. This is a clear attempt to drown the local population. By handing out millions of residency papers to outsiders India is ensuring that the original residents become a minority in their own home. It is a classic move to replace a population and kill its political voice in IIOJK.
3. The Industrial Policy Facade and Economic Lies
3.1 Rewriting Fourteen Land Laws for Corporate Gain
In October 2020 India amended 14 land laws to benefit outsiders. They can now buy non agricultural land with zero restrictions. The government even gave itself the power to turn lush green farms into industrial sites whenever it wants. The protections that once kept the land in local hands are gone. The gates are now wide open for Delhi’s corporate friends to exploit the natural beauty of IIOJK for profit.
3.2 The Twenty Eight Thousand Crore Rupee Illusion
India brags about an investment package worth Rs 28,400 crore under its 2021 Industrial Development Scheme. But where is the benefit for the people? Unemployment remains higher than the national average. These land banks created across every district are just a way to hold the land of IIOJK hostage. The only thing developing is the size of the state holdings while the local economy continues to suffocate.
4. Military Expansion and the Mask of Security
4.1 The Iron Fist in the Velvet Glove
Security is the oldest excuse in the book. For over 30 years the military has occupied thousands of acres. With the new transfers of over 68,190 kanals the military footprint is growing even larger. The land is not being used for schools or public parks it is being used to build more camps and installations to keep the 13 million people of IIOJK under a permanent watch.
4.2 The Cruelty of Anti Encroachment Drives
In 2023 India launched anti encroachment drives that were nothing but a war on the poor. While the state takes thousands of kanals for free they labeled small farmers as illegal. Over 1 lakh kanals were put under review threatening families who had lived there for generations. It is pure hypocrisy to call a native farmer a thief while the government carries out the biggest land heist in the history of IIOJK.
5. Demographic Engineering and the Disputed Reality
5.1 Changing the Face of a Disputed Land
Demographic engineering is the ultimate goal. By ignoring the 2011 Census and flooding the area with new residents and laws India is trying to change the reality of this disputed territory. They want to make sure that if a vote ever happens the native voice is too weak to be heard. This is a direct violation of international law yet India continues to act like the land belongs to its departments rather than the people of IIOJK.
5.2 The Failure of the Economic Argument
The transfer of 68,190 kanals has nothing to do with helping the people. Local businesses are failing and the youth are jobless. You cannot help a population by taking away the ground they stand on. This is a structural shift in power designed to leave the locals with nothing. The international community must wake up and see that India is not building a future for the people of IIOJK it is building a future without them.
