July 17, 2026

J&K: The Darkness Named Roshni

By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2020-11-25 12:06:03

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Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack

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With the publication of the list of 'beneficiaries' of the land grab in Jammu & Kashmir under the Roshni Act (which had subsequently been declared "unconstitutional" by the J&K High Court in October), the exact nature of the scam has now become public. The entire political, bureaucratic and business elite in the state had shamelessly grabbed public land at a value much lesser than the market rate under the garb of the said Act. The list reads like a who's who of the Srinagar elite. Even Farooq Abdullah's name is on the list but he has denied the charges.

The Roshni Act was enacted for a good cause. It was supposed to finance power projects in the state by transferring ownership rights (at a price) to illegal occupiers of government land in the state. But the intention behind the Act was to grab land and it has been proved by the names of the beneficiaries. How could such respected and prominent citizens be illegal occupants of government land for so many years? If that was not the case, how was land transferred to them? Who forced the original trespassers to give up their rights (again, obviously at a price) in favour of the high and mighty who finally took possession? What was the role of the administration, including land and revenue officials? Who decided the beneficiaries and what role did the then government play?

All these and many more disturbing questions will be raised as the CBI has now taken over the investigation in the scam. In order to distance itself from the scam, the Congress has called upon the Gupkar Alliance to explain their position as most of the beneficiaries belong to relatives of politicians who are part of the alliance. But the list also contains the names of former minister and Congress leader Majid Wani. It was collective loot by the elite and everyone associated with the scam must be identified and brought to book. The land must be taken back from them and restored to public ownership now that the Act has been declared unconstitutional.