Leaders join South Kashmir’s paddy protest: ‘If govt needs it, use barren land’

“Of course, this is government land but for many decades, we have been growing paddy on it. Over 1,000 households from four villages are dependent on this land,” said Shabir Ahmad, a resident of Padgampora. “This spring, as villagers started preparing the land for planting saplings, the Tehsildar (of Awantipora) came with police and warned us against cultivation. They used a tractor to destroy seedlings already planted by some villagers.”

After the Tehsildar’s warning, PDP legislator Waheed Para, under whose constituency Awantipora falls, visited the villages and assured residents he would raise their issue. His visit was followed by PDP leader Iltija Mufti, who said they would not allow the government to snatch the land from farmers.

On Tuesday, Para again visited the fields, joined by leaders across party lines — National Conference’s Hasnain Masoodi and Mukhtar Ahmad Bandh, and BJP’s Arshad Hussain Bhat.

The leaders assured villagers that their “rights would be safeguarded” and urged them to plant saplings.

“As the villagers didn’t dare step into the fields for plantation, the leaders themselves entered the muddy waters, prepared the fields using tractors and planted saplings,” Ahmad said. “This gave some confidence to the villagers and they too stepped into their fields and planted paddy saplings.”

Speaking to The Indian Express, Para said the land is fertile and, if the government requires land for another purpose, alternate barren land could be identified instead.

“I stepped into the field to give confidence to villagers who were afraid of planting saplings on land their families have cultivated for generations,” he said.

Bhat said villagers were afraid to return to the fields after being summoned by police several times. “When they first went into their fields, the police came; they again came the next day. When (PDP legislator) Waheed went there, they were again summoned that evening,” he said. “The villagers were scared. That is why we took to the field ourselves.”

Tehsildar Pulwama Shakeel Ahmad said he had only asked villagers not to plant saplings on land already allotted and that the issue had been exaggerated.

“I was passing through the area when I saw some villagers planting paddy. It is state land and incorporated into the land bank,” he said. “I just told them not to plant paddy there and the issue has been exaggerated. It is true I called the SHO, but it was for protection and to avoid any law-and-order situation.” He said some land in the area had already been allotted for the Police Housing Colony, Islamic University of Science and Technology, and the ARTO office in Pulwama.

The dispute centres on around 1200 kanals of state land in Padgampora and adjoining villages of Awantipora in South Kashmir that local residents say they have cultivated for decades. The controversy escalated after revenue officials allegedly stopped farmers from preparing the fields for cultivation, claiming that the portions of the land have been earmarked for projects.