How 40,000 Forest Rights Claims Were Denied In Kashmir

Over 85% of tribal land claims have been rejected in J&K, raising questions about due process and the misuse of a law meant to protect forest dwellers.

- Syed Mohammad Burhan

On a hot August morning in Rajouri, 62-year-old Ghulam Nabi stood at the edge of a forest his family has grazed cattle in for generations.

In his pocket was a rejection slip that said he had no right to the land.

“I never thought one paper could wipe out a lifetime,” he said. “They didn’t even come here. They just crossed my name.”