Enquiry into Forest Rights Act Violation During Jammu Demolition Drive Mere Eyewash: Sajad Lone | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference President and Handwara MLA Sajad Gani Lone on Wednesday criticised the National Conference-led government’s decision to order an enquiry into alleged violations of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) during the recent demolition drive in Jammu, describing the move as a “mere eyewash”.

The remarks come amid controversy over demolition operations carried out in parts of Jammu, where structures were removed during an anti-encroachment drive by authorities. The government has ordered an enquiry into allegations that provisions of the Forest Rights Act may have been violated during the exercise.

In a statement, Lone questioned the need for a seven-day timeframe for the probe, arguing that the government could have determined within minutes whether FRA provisions had been breached.

“It wouldn’t have taken the NC-led government more than 10 minutes to find out whether there has been a violation of the FRA,” he said.

Lone said the enquiry would be meaningful only if claims filed by affected persons under the Forest Rights Act were still pending. Referring to Section 4(5) of the Act, he said forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers cannot be evicted from land under their occupation until the recognition and verification process is completed.

Quoting the provision, Lone said: “No member of a forest dwelling Scheduled Tribe or other traditional forest dweller shall be evicted or removed from forest land under his occupation till the recognition and verification procedure is complete.”

He alleged that if demolition action was taken before the completion of the process, it could amount to a violation of the Act.

The Peoples Conference leader also compared the latest enquiry to previous magisterial probes ordered into civilian killings in Jammu and Kashmir, alleging that such investigations were often initiated to “calm public anger”.

Lone further alleged that the government may later defend both the enquiry and the demolition drive in the Assembly. He concluded his remarks with the phrase “UTT vs TUTT”, which he has previously used in his criticism of the government.