Hindu family gifts land to Muslim journalist after bulldozer action

A day after the house of a local journalist in Jammu was demolished, a Hindu family on Friday stepped forward to donate a piece of land to the affected family—an act widely hailed as a gesture of brotherhood and communal harmony.

Political leaders and civil society members had on Thursday condemned the demolition of the house belonging to Jammu-based journalist Arfaz Ahmad Daing. While the JDA has maintained that the action was part of a routine drive against illegal constructions, Daing alleged that he was selectively targeted for his critical reportage of the administration. Remarkably, the journalist covered the demolition of his own house for the digital platform he works with.

On Friday, Kuldeep Sharma, a resident of Jammu, donated five marlas of land to Daing’s family. “Today, people are being divided into Hindu versus Muslim. This is not right,” Sharma said while handing over the land papers. “Brotherhood will always continue,” he added.

Sharma emphasised that the donation would also be documented in writing. His daughter, Tania Sharma, called her father’s gesture commendable. “I feel blessed. This decision is praiseworthy, and everyone should come forward to support Arfaz’s family,” she said, adding, “Humanity is still alive.”

Visiting the site on Friday, BJP leader Ravinder Raina told the family, “It shouldn’t have happened.” He assured them of assistance and said he had spoken to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha regarding the issue.

NC MLA Sajjad Shaheen called the act “selective targeting and intimidation of journalists,” adding that such actions are unacceptable in a democracy.

PDP leader Guftar Ahmed wrote on X: “A Hindu family from Jammu has donated 5 marlas of land to Arfaz Ahmed, a journalist. His house, which his father built 40 years ago, was bulldozed by JDA yesterday. This is a big slap to communal forces who are dividing our country.”

Amid the controversy, a senior JDA official told The Tribune that all legal formalities were followed. “We had served him notices twice, and he responded to them as well,” the official said. He added that demolitions were being carried out at multiple locations in Jammu and were not selective in nature.