Stop Treating Kanyari Residents as Second-Class Citizens: 400 Families Cannot Be Denied Their Fundamental Rights, Says Usman Majid

Former Minister slams administrative apathy, demands immediate restoration of roads, water and electricity; warns against intimidation and demolition threats

Hajin, Bandipora, Kashmir July 3: Former Minister and Ex-MLA Bandipora, Usman Majid, on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the administration over the continued neglect and suffering of nearly 400 families living in Kanyari, asserting that depriving people of basic civic amenities in the absence of a proper rehabilitation plan is nothing short of a grave injustice and a violation of their fundamental rights.

During his visit to the area, Majid expressed outrage over what he described as the “criminal indifference” towards the genuine concerns of local residents, saying that the administration cannot wash its hands of its responsibilities while hundreds of families continue to live without proper roads, drinking water and reliable electricity. He said that rehabilitation cannot be used as an excuse to deny citizens the basic facilities guaranteed to them under a welfare system.

“These 400 families are citizens of this country, not second-class human beings who can be abandoned and forgotten. Until their rehabilitation is completed, the government is constitutionally and morally bound to ensure that every essential service reaches their doorsteps. Denying them these facilities is unacceptable, inhuman and deeply condemnable,” Majid said.

The former Minister strongly criticized the pathetic condition of the bund road, terming it a glaring example of administrative failure and neglect. He said that patients requiring urgent medical attention, elderly citizens and school-going children are being forced to suffer every single day because of the authorities’ inability to undertake basic repair works. He demanded immediate restoration of the road and warned that further delays would only deepen public resentment.

Majid also issued a stern warning against any attempts to intimidate or harass residents through threats of demolition. He said that creating fear among already distressed families reflects a complete lack of sensitivity and humanity. “It is shocking and unfortunate that instead of addressing people’s grievances, some officials are busy threatening poor families with demolition. Let it be clear—no one has the right to terrorize these residents or snatch away the little shelter they possess without first ensuring a dignified and acceptable rehabilitation process. Governance cannot run on fear and coercion,” he asserted.

Calling for urgent intervention from the district administration, Majid said that the people of Kanyari have displayed extraordinary patience despite years of uncertainty and neglect. He urged the authorities to immediately resolve their long-pending issues and uphold their dignity and constitutional rights.

“The people of Kanyari are asking for roads, water, electricity and respect—not charity. Their demands are legitimate, their concerns are genuine and their voices must no longer be ignored. A civilized administration is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable citizens, and the continued neglect of these families is a stain on our collective conscience,” Majid added.