More then two hundred individuals from 17 families, descendants of Mohammad Yaqub Khan, the Afghan king exiled to India in the 19th century, have been evicted following a court order by Indian Government to close down Kabul House in Dehradun.
Key Points
1. The Dehradun district magistrate issued an order to evacuate the residents of Kabul House and gave a 15-day notice to vacate the land.
2. The property was tagged as “enemy property” by the district authorities, due to some of the descendants of the exiled king having moved to Pakistan after the Partition.
3. The case over Kabul House has been pending in the Dehradun district magistrate’s court for the past 40 years.
4. The district administration maintained that the evacuation and the sealing were ordered by the court.
5. The descendants of the exiled king, Mohammad Yaqub Khan, were evicted from their homes, leaving around 200 to 300 people homeless.
6. Some of the residents had been living there for the past hundred years and only received the order to vacate their homes a few days ago.
Background
The Kabul House is an expansive mansion situated in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. It formerly served as the residence of Mohammad Yaqub Khan, the exiled ruler of Afghanistan, who resided there from 1879 to 1923. Following Mohammad Yaqub Khan’s demise, the house was inhabited by his descendants, who remained residents until a recent court order in India mandated the eviction of these families from the mansion. The historical edifice, sprawling across 19 acres and valued at over 400 crores, has now been transferred to the Indian government.
Widespread Outrage and Criticism
The forced eviction of Kabul House residents has triggered widespread outrage and criticism. Human rights activists are denouncing the eviction, citing it as a violation of families’ rights to property and shelter. Political leaders have also voiced concerns about the government’s handling of the situation.
The families ousted from Kabul House are now confronting an uncertain future. Having lost their homes and belongings, they are grappling with the challenge of securing new accommodations.
The city administration, in collaboration with the police force, carried out the removal of all encroachments from the site on Thursday, leaving 17 families homeless. This resulted in the eviction of approximately 200 to 300 individuals, who are descendants of the exiled king, from their homes.
The case over Kabul House has been pending in the Dehradun district magistrate’s court for the past 40 years. In 2019, the district authorities also tagged the property as ‘Enemy Property’.
Descendants of Yakub Khan claim that they have never vacated Kabul House. They assert that out of Yakub Khan’s 11 sons and 11 daughters, only a few relocated to Pakistan, while the majority continued residing in Dehradun or returned to Afghanistan.
According to the recent amendment to the 49-year-old Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Act, the descendants of individuals who migrated to Pakistan and China during the partition and subsequent periods will no longer have any claims over the properties left behind in India.
The recent action reveals the true nature of the BJP regime, showing a lack of respect for the principles of the right to life and property. The move is criticized for encroaching upon others’ land and belongings, resulting in the displacement of people and rendering them homeless.
