“An appeal to Honrable Divisional Commissioner & all other ten Hournrable Deputy Commissioners of Kashmir valley “Unveiling the Truth: Recently RTI was filed by our senior KP leader and well-known personality of the community, sought crucial information regarding the status of immovable properties of Displaced Kashmiri Pandits in Kupwara district.

The response from the District Administration stated that “80% of the land belonging to migrants in Kupwara remains unsold to date.” While this statistic may seem definitive, it demands deeper scrutiny to uncover the actual truth behind land ownership, distress sales, and illegal

encroachments that have plagued the Kashmiri Pandit community since their forced exodus.The Kashmiri Pandit Conference (KPC) and like-minded organizations view this RTI reply with skepticism, as it lacks clarity, depth, and a comprehensive district-wise assessment. It fails to differentiate between unsold land, illegally occupied land, and distress sales, raising serious concerns about its authenticity.

The reality is far more complex, requiring an honest, transparent, and detailed land survey to establish the actual status of the properties that once belonged to the displaced community.A key issue with the RTI response is the definition of “unsold” land. Many properties recorded as “unsold” may, in reality, be illegally occupied or encroached upon.

The land beneath abandoned, destroyed, or vandalized houses might still be registered in the names of displaced Kashmiri Pandits, but that does not mean the rightful owners have access to it. Furthermore, land grabbers and

encroachers, often backed by political and bureaucratic nexuses, continue to exploit the displaced community’s absence, rendering the term “unsold” misleading.Another critical aspect ignored in the RTI response is the issue of distress sales. A vast majority of Kashmiri Pandits were compelled to sell their properties under duress during the peak of terrorism in the 1990s and early 2000s. These sales were neither

voluntary nor fair—they were forced by circumstances where fear, threat to life, and lack of government intervention left no other choice. The government has failed to investigate such cases or take corrective measures to nullify

transactions made under coercion. Moreover, the administration has not addressed the demand for restoring these lands to their original owners, thereby allowing historical injustice to persist.The credibility of revenue department data is also questionable. Many officials have been accused of either withholding critical information or

providing vague, misleading responses to protect vested interests. Instances of fraudulent deals, tampering with revenue records, and manipulation by local land mafias are well-known. It is, therefore, no surprise that the figures provided in the RTI lack trustworthiness.It is also important to highlight the regional

disparity in land disputes faced by Kashmiri Pandits. While North Kashmir, including Kupwara, experienced relatively lower militancy compared to South and Central Kashmir, districts like Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, Srinagar, Budgam, and Ganderbal have seen large-scale distress sales, forced occupations, and illegal

transfers. Any meaningful assessment must take into account the situation across all ten districts of Kashmir to reflect an accurate picture of the land crisis.Given these concerns, the Kashmiri Pandit Conference (KPC) strongly urges the government, including , Hournrable Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Hournrable Deputy

Commissioners of all ten Districts of Kashmir and to the District Administration of Kupwara, to provide a more detailed, factual, and transparent clarification on this issue. A genuine and thorough district-wise land survey is imperative, categorizing properties into four key

classifications:Land actually sold (whether voluntary or under distress).Land still in Kashmiri Pandit ownership in revenue records but illegally occupied.

Land grabbed by land mafias, encroachers, or local vested interests.Land beneath abandoned houses or small plots retained by displaced families.This classification will expose the ground reality and prevent the administration from hiding behind misleading statistics.

The displaced Kashmiri Pandit community has suffered decades of neglect, and the least they deserve is the truth about their ancestral properties.

The community demands a prompt and unambiguous response from the all ten Hournrable Deputy Commissioners of Kashmir valley. We urge all stakeholders—government authorities, political leaders, and civil society—to ensure that this long-standing issue is addressed with honesty, fairness, and justice.

The silence and ambiguity surrounding this matter must end, and the truth must prevail.Warm regards,[Kundan Kashmiri]Sevak & President, Kashmiri Pandit Conference (KPC)Mobile No: 8802167955Email: kundankashmiri@gmail.com