The house of 40 years belonged to journalist Arfaz Ahmad, who reportedly paid the price for linking a deputy superintendent of police to a 3.26 kg heroin bust
JAMMU — In a powerful display of solidarity, a Hindu neighbour of a Muslim journalist in Jammu, whose house was demolished only a couple of days ago, donated a plot measuring about 1,350 square foot in an emotional handover. The neighbour also pledged all assistance in the reconstruction of the house.
On Thursday (November 27), the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) demolished the 40-year-old home of journalist Arfaz Ahmad Daing in Jammu’s Narwal-Channi area claiming illegal construction on state land. The unilateral action, many believe came after Daing, in one of his reports, linked a deputy superintendent of police to a 3.26 kg heroin bust. It sparked widespread outrage and severe criticism from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who accused authorities of selective demolitions.
The JDA deployed four bulldozers and 700-800 security personnel in the demolition operation which was reportedly undertaken without prior notice. The JDA’s initiative displaced the journalist’s elderly parents, wife, and three children.
Daing’s Hindu neighbour Kuldeep Sharma donated the plot of land the very next day after the journalist’s home was bulldozed.
The single-storey house, built by Daing’s father Ghulam Qadir, four decades ago after fleeing militancy in Doda district was reduced to a rubble in under two hours.
Daing, who runs the digital platform News Sehar India, was roughed up and detained alongside his brothers. He was also barred from filming the whole operation despite his pleadings to let him continue his professional duties.
Eyewitnesses noted the site was sealed, preventing other reporters from approaching, while locals questioned the selective action as larger alleged encroachments nearby remained untouched.
Daing’s troubles began with his 14 November coverage of a major cross-border heroin seizure, where he implicated a transferred deputy superintendent of police (DSP) from Jammu East with a local family allegedly involved in smuggling, prompting the officer’s reassignment.
A senior police source dismissed vendetta claims and noted that Daing faces four FIRs since 2015, including a past house search linked to terrorism.
The notice was issued in Daing’s name despite his father’s registered ownership, bypassing the due judicial process, advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed pointed out.
In a heartfelt response, Kuldeep Sharma, a resident of the nearby Jewel area and Daing’s platform follower, gifted the plot through his daughter Tania during a public ceremony filled with tears and embraces.
“I will build a house for you even if I have to beg for funds. Our brotherhood will always exist; today people divide us as Hindu versus Muslim, but this is wrong,” Sharma vowed.
Videos circulating of the event show Ghulam Qadir hugging Sharma affectionately, revealing thousands of offers of assistance, while Tania called the gesture a testament to enduring humanity, sparking widespread applause.
Kuldeep Sharma’s profound generosity stands as a radiant symbol of interfaith solidarity, empathy, and coexistence, piercing through Jammu’s tensions to reaffirm India’s pluralistic spirit with tangible compassion.
