J&K land laws: Many in Jammu too fear dispossession, says Radha Kumar

Jammu's problem is compounded by the fact that any industry that invests is more likely to do so in Jammu than the volatile Valley, and so their risk of land loss to "development" is high, says Kumar

The Centre on Tuesday notified new land laws for Jammu and Kashmir, omitting “permanent resident” as a criterion and allowing outsiders to buy land in the region. Policy analyst and a specialist in ethnic conflicts and peace-building, Radha Kumar, who was among the three government-appointed interlocutors for Jammu and Kashmir in 2010, discusses the implications of these changes with Aditi Phadnis. Edited excerpts:

The Centre has announced that any Indian can now buy non-agricultural land in Jammu and Kashmir. If identity is defined by the right to buy and sell real estate, why exclude agricultural land?

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