Srinagar, Aug. 6 -- In his pocket was a rejection slip that said he had no right to the land.

"I never thought one paper could wipe out a lifetime," he said. "They didn't even come here. They just crossed my name."

His is one of nearly 40,000 stories like this across Jammu & Kashmir.

Since the Forest Rights Act (FRA) was extended to the region, 46,090 claims have been filed, over 85% of them have been denied. That includes 32,727 individual claims and 7,197 community claims.

J&K now ranks among the worst regions in India for implementing the law.

Activists say these rejections are a rejection of people's history, rights, and way of life.

"This is a burial, not implementation," said Dr. Shaikh Ghulam Rasool, head of the Forest Rights...