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The question of citizenship arose obviously. Full citizenship applies there. But our friends from Kashmir
were very apprehensive about one or two matters. For a long time past, in the Maharaja's time, there had
been laws there preventing any outsider, that is, any person from outside Kashmir, from acquiring or holding
land in Kashmir. If I mention it, in the old days the Maharaja was very much afraid of a large number of
Englishmen coming and settling down there, because the climate is delectable, and acquiring property. So
although most of their rights were taken away from the Maharaja under the British rule, the Maharaja stuck
to this that nobody from outside should acquire land there. And that continues. So the present Government of
Kashmir is very anxious to preserve that right because they are afraid, and I think rightly afraid, that
Kashmir would be overrun by people whose sole qualification might be the possession of too much money and
nothing else, who might buy up, and get the delectable places. Now they want to vary the old Maharaja’s laws
to liberalise it, but nevertheless to have checks on the acquisition of lands by persons from outside.
However, we agree that this should be cleared up. The old state’s subjects definition gave certain
privileges regarding this acquisition of land, the services, and other minor things, I think, State
scholarships and the rest.
So, we agreed and noted this down: 'The State legislature shall have power to define and regulate the rights
and privileges of the permanent residents of the State, more especially in regard to the acquisition of
immovable property, appointments to services and like matters. Till then the existing State law should
apply.'
The question of citizenship arose obviously. Full citizenship applies there. But our friends from Kashmir
were very apprehensive about one or two matters. For a long time past, in the Maharaja's time, there had
been laws there preventing any outsider, that is, any person from outside Kashmir, from acquiring or holding
land in Kashmir. If I mention it, in the old days the Maharaja was very much afraid of a large number of
Englishmen coming and
settling down there,
because the climate is delectable, and acquiring property. So
although most of
their rights were taken away from the Maharaja under the British rule, the Maharaja stuck
to this that nobody from outside should acquire land there. And that continues. So the present Government of
Kashmir is very anxious to preserve that right because they are afraid, and I think rightly afraid, that
Kashmir would be overrun by
people whose sole qualification might be the possession of too much money and
nothing else, who might buy up,
and get the delectable places. Now they want to vary the old Maharaja’s laws
to liberalise it,
but nevertheless to have checks on the acquisition of lands by persons from outside.
However, we agree that this should be cleared up. The old state’s subjects definition gave certain
privileges regarding this acquisition of land, the services, and other minor things, I think, State
scholarships and the rest.
So, we agreed and noted this down: 'The State legislature shall have power to define and regulate the rights
and privileges of the permanent residents of the State, more especially in regard to the acquisition of
immovable property, appointments to services and like matters. Till then the existing State law should
apply.'
