Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 23: Members of tribal Gujjar and nomadic Bakarwal (goatherd) communities today organized a day long protest in front of Divisional Commissioner Office demanding extension of the Forest Rights Act enacted by Parliament in 2006 to Jammu and Kashmir with rights on forest lands.
A number of Gujjars and Bakarwals, who have been given Scheduled Tribe (ST) status in the State, holding banners, held a protest demonstration here and raised slogans seeking rights on forest lands similar to those ST communities living in other States of the country.
The protestors alleged the tribal communities of Jammu and Kashmir have been discriminated against by successive State Governments and demanded that they should be treated at par with other ST communities of India.
They said tribal in other states are entitled for “title rights” and ownership of land which is being cultivated by them since long, but the Government of Jammu and Kashmir has not extended the same benefits to those living here.
The Gujjars and Bakarwals demanded that each family of the tribal community and forest dwellers of the State be allotted 32 Kanals of land (as per the National Act) with ‘use rights’ to grazing areas and pastoralist routes.
They said that more than 40 percent of the total population of Gujjars and Bakarwals in the State are landless and deserve dwelling rights on forest lands which they are using as traditional inhabitants since centuries.
The delegation of nomads lead by Haji Fain Ahmad Bokda met Dr Javaid Rahi, Secretary, Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation and sought help of the Foundation in their ongoing struggle.
Dr Rahi in response said that Foundation members will soon meet Governor of J&K, will apprise him that all the economic activities of lakhs of nomadic Gujjars-Bakarwals tribes are based on forests of the State and appeal him to issue an SRO granting Tribal rights.
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