Demolition drive changes fortunes of journalist in Jammu and Kashmir

A demolition drive has overnight changed the fortunes of a young journalist in Jammu and Kashmir after his father’s home, constructed over the state land, was demolished by the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) on Thursday during an anti-encroachment drive.

In less than 24 hours after the house of journalist Arfaz Ahmad Daing was flattened, he was flooded with offers from members of the civil society who came forward to lend him a helping hand. The journalist hogged the limelight as his video resisting the selective demolition drive went viral on social media. A day later, a rare example of brotherhood was set by a Hindu family from Jammu after their head of the family gifted a five marla plot of land to help him rebuild his demolished home.

The land was donated by Kuldeep Sharma, who handed over the original documents to the victim through his daughter and promised to fulfil his commitment in writing soon. A video of the moment has gone viral on social media, drawing widespread attention as a symbol of unity in the wake of the controversial demolition drive.

The journalist whose house was demolished said the gesture by Sharma’s family restored his faith in humanity and showed the real face of Jammu’s people, contrasting sharply with the fear created by exclusionary politics.

Meanwhile, politicians lost no opportunity and traded barbs against each other. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah launched a fresh offensive against the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, claiming that arbitrary transfers and the use of bulldozers by the Raj Bhavan are part of a “conspiracy” to “malign” the elected government in the Union territory.

“The officers posted by Raj Bhawan use bulldozers independently, without the elected government’s permission and without consulting the concerned minister. It indicates a clear conspiracy to tarnish the image of the elected government,” Abdullah told reporters in Srinagar.

Referring to the demolition drive in which the house of a journalist was targeted, Omar challenged the JDA Vice Chairman to publish a list of illegal encroachers in the newspapers.

“Let him publish the names of the encroachers in Jammu, then we will see who is there. Solely targeting individuals based on religion or location indicates nothing but a political conspiracy,” Abdullah said.

In Srinagar, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti criticised the demolition of a house of a journalist by the authorities in Jammu, saying the Union territory is suffering the “brutal consequences” of the National Conference (NC) government’s decision to dismiss the party’s “anti-bulldozer” bill in the assembly recently.

“These aren’t the homes of helpless Muslim families in UP or elsewhere, where targeting minorities has become the norm. This is Jammu & Kashmir, where Arfaz, a journalist who built a modest home 40 years ago on 3 marlas of land, saw it being crushed to rubble in seconds,” Mufti said in a post on X on Friday. Leaders belonging to the Congress, the BJP, social activists and prominent citizens also visited the demolished house of the journalist and condemned the JDA action, seeking thorough investigations.