A Muslim journalist’s ancestral home in Jammu was demolished on charges of encroaching on government land, sparking political tension and discomfort within the BJP in the region. The incident went viral overnight. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah alleged that the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) demolished the house at the behest of the Lieutenant Governor with the intention of maligning the elected government. As the situation escalated, the state BJP stepped in to express support for the displaced journalist’s family.
About 35 years ago, Ghulam Qadir Daing had fled from the Doda Valley in Kashmir with his elder son and settled in Narwal, Jammu. At the time, militancy in the Valley was at its peak, and young boys from Muslim families were routinely picked up by militants and forced to join their ranks. To save his son, Ghulam escaped to Jammu. Since then, the one-storey house built on a small plot in Narwal had been the family’s shelter. But a few days ago, the JDA demolished that home, reigniting political tensions in the state.
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Standing firmly beside Ghulam is his Hindu neighbour, Kuldeep Sharma, who donated nearly one kanal of land from his own plot to the elderly man. “I will not let my brother become homeless. The JDA took away his three marla. I’m giving him five marla. They will stay here,” Kuldeep said. His gesture deeply moved the Daing family, but it has added to the BJP’s unease. On Friday, former state BJP president Ravinder Raina visited the demolished home and said, “Kuldeep has shown what Kashmiryat truly means, standing by your neighbour. And the Lieutenant Governor did not order the demolition. It was done by Omar Abdullah’s government.”
Ghulam’s 72-year-old son Afraz works for a local news portal. A year ago, the JDA also demolished Afraz’s own house after he published reports critical of the central government. Since then, he had been living with his father. Back in 2022, Afraz had been arrested for reporting on alleged military involvement in cross-border drug trafficking. Many now believe that the latest demolition is yet another act of retaliation orchestrated by the central BJP government.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has openly criticised the incident. “No one supports the encroachment of government land. But the JDA is targeting homes belonging to one particular community. This is a conspiracy aimed at discrediting the elected government,” he said. “Police officers appointed by Raj Bhavan are demolishing civilian homes without the elected government’s approval.” He has sought a complete list of all alleged encroachers from the JDA.
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For the past 35 years, Ghulam has run a small grocery shop on his Hindu neighbour’s land in Narwal. He recalls, “My elder son was just 12 then. He was tall and healthy for his age. Militants could have taken him any day. That fear made me flee.” Even back then, Hindu neighbours protected the father and son. Decades later, it is again the support of those same neighbours that has given the Daing family a chance to rebuild their lives.
