India changes controversial land laws in disputed Kashmir

India changes controversial land laws in disputed Kashmir

India changes controversial land laws in disputed Kashmir

an hour ago

Farmers work at a vegetable field on the outskirts of Srinagar. Tauseef Mustafa/AFP

India has amended a law in Jammu and Kashmir allowing Indian citizens to buy land in the disputed territory, said officials, sparking opposition criticism about a steady erosion of the rights of Kashmiri people.

A notification issued on Tuesday stated that the term "being permanent resident of the state“ as a criteria has been "omitted,“ paving the way for even non-Kashmiri Indians to purchase land in the Himalayan region.

A woman carries the lunch for her relatives at a vegetable field on the outskirts of Srinagar.

Until last year, the region enjoyed a special status, guaranteed by the Indian constitution, which allowed it to make its own rules about permanent residency and