Agreement reached in Mendhar: Land for mosque, compensation for owner

Jammu Mar 25-The border town of Mendhar in Jammu and Kashmir state of India today turned towards normalcy as no untoward incident was reported in the day and the administration managed to strike an agreement between to communities, fighting over a piece of land.
There was no report of any untoward incident in the town during the day and curfew was relaxed between 5.30 and 6.30 pm, official sources informed. The administration plans to completely lift the curfew from tomorrow as situation turns towards normalcy.
To defuse the volatile situation, official sources, said an agreement has been reached between the representatives of the two communities, wherein it was decided that the disputed land will be handed over to the majority community, taking in view the religious sentiments of the people and owner of the said land will be given compensation by the government separately.
DDC Poonch Mohd Ramzan Thakur, Tehsildaar Mendhar, two ex naib tehsildaar and patwaris’ have been named as members of the committee set by the authorities to resolve the issue of disputed piece of land.
Earlier, in order to ensure that no untoward incident happen in the already tense Mendhar town, a joint security post had been established at the disputed site after yesterday’s clashes left forty persons including thirty policemen injured.
Yesterday, the administration was forced to handover the task of maintaining peace to the army, after the security situation went out of control as thousand of men from the majority community forced their way at a disputed site and started the construction of a mosque.
The local MLA had also announced an amount of Rs 50000 for the construction of the mosque at the disputed site and offered Namaz there. The police was forced to remain a mute spectator as the mob managed to construct a mehrab and a room on the land.
According to reports, this land has been claimed by two individuals- Mohd Ibrahim and Ramesh Chander.
Ibrahim reportedly owns around 1. 7 kanals of land out of the entire 14 kanals and 7 marlas of land, Ramesh Chander has ownership of 10 Kanals while the rest of the land belongs to state.
The dispute arose when Ibrahim erected two tented structures at disputed land claiming one as mosque and other as Madrassa defying the court orders.
Ramesh, approached the revenue authorities demanding action against Ibrahim for having erected the unauthorised structures. . When revenue officials, along with police reached the spot and requested them to vacate the land, violence erupted and some local people started stone pelting.
This situation was worsened after thousands of persons from the majority community congregated at the spot and forced their way on the disputed site.
Some construction were made but the same were dismantled each day amidst clashes and firing by the policemen.
However, to check the situation from turning into communal flare-up the local administration handed over the town to army.
Today, a joint post of Army personnel and police was set up at the disputed site to ensure that no one tried to forcibly occupy the land.
Sources said that both the parties to the dispute have also been told not to contravene the court orders.