Amnesty International on Tuesday directed the Government of India to stop the demolition drives in Kashmir and stated that the drives must be immediately halted and those affected compensated.
The demolition of residential houses and businesses in Srinagar, Budgam, Anantnag, and Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir that are ongoing since 4 February must be stopped immediately, Aakar Patel, chair of the board for Amnesty International India said.
“The ongoing demolitions appear to be an extension of the brutal human rights violations that the region of Jammu and Kashmir, the only Muslim majority region of India, has historically witnessed. These demolitions could amount to forced evictions which constitute a gross violation of human rights," he said.
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to which India is a state party, everyone has the right to adequate housing which includes a prohibition on forced evictions, he said.
"Where justified, evictions should be carried out by general principles of reasonableness and proportionality and include safeguards of reasonable and adequate notice; provision of legal remedies for infringement of rights; and provision of legal aid to people who need it to seek redress from the courts. No one should be made homeless or vulnerable other to human rights violations because of evictions," he added.
“The Indian authorities must immediately halt the demolition drive and ensure that safeguards against forced evictions as outlined in international human rights standards are put in place before any evictions are carried out. They must offer adequate compensation to all those affected without discrimination, ensure that victims of forced evictions have access to an effective remedy, and those responsible are held to account,” Patel said.
Notably, the LG administration under Manoj Sinha ordered to vacate 'state land' against 'encroachment' and the district municipal corporation and state revenue authorities in collaboration with the police demolished several homes and properties of residents in at least four districts of Srinagar, Budgam, Anantnag, and Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir between 4 to 5 February 2023.
Residents claimed that they did not receive any prior notices from the administration.
Many of them also allege that they had valid documents proving ownership of their properties, but the authorities did not allow them to present their claims before running bulldozers over their homes.