The state's last coalition government fell after it announced it would transfer forest land to a Hindu shrine board that manages an annual pilgrimage.

CNN: Pro-India parties win majority in Kashmir elections

The main exception to that has been the events of the summer of 2008, when the government of Indian-administered Kashmir decided to transfer to a Hindu religious trust 100 acres of land on a mountain route leading to an important shrine.

BBC: Q&A: Kashmir dispute

The law is distilled from rural custom and Hindu scripture, and generally holds that land is owned collectively by families and then passed to the next generation, as represented by sons.

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