Violations of FRA 2006 and Article 21: JKGBYWC and JKFRC warn of full-scale campaign over ‘Mehari Gujjran harassment’
Srinagar, Jan 16: The Jammu & Kashmir Gujjar Bakerwal Youth Welfare Conference (JKGBYWC) and the J&K Forest Rights Coalition (JKFRC) have expressed strong resentment and deep concern over the alleged continued harassment of seven nomadic Bakerwal families in the Mehari Gujjran area of Rajouri district.
In a joint statement, Dr Shaikh Ghulam Rasool, Chairman of JKFRC, Zahid Parwaz Choudhary, State President of JKGBYWC, and other leaders of the Forest Rights Coalition strongly condemned the conduct of Forest Department authorities, alleging that these families have been harassed for the past two years under the pretext of forest land protection.
The leadership stated that the authorities have ignored the legal reality that the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006—passed by Parliament—empowers forest-dwelling communities and recognizes their traditional rights over land. They further emphasized that Article 21 of the Constitution of India guarantees the fundamental right to life and livelihood. The leaders warned that any agency or officer violating these provisions should be booked under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which exists to protect marginalized communities from institutional abuse.
They added that by continuing this harassment, the Forest Department is also violating international standards, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 10, which focuses on reducing inequality.
The organizations described it as shocking and shameful that the families are being targeted despite possessing valid legal documents, including ration cards, voter ID cards, and Aadhaar cards, all officially registered in the same area. They further noted that for the past two years, local Sarpanch Shazia Tabasum Choudhary has been fighting relentlessly to prevent the eviction of these families.
“Despite approaching every relevant authority, her appeals have gone unheard. She has once again urged the concerned Minister, the District Administration, and the Tribal Affairs Department to intervene and put an end to the systematic harassment. She stated that over the past two years, the families’ livelihoods have been destroyed and their children’s education severely affected, as they were forced to move from pillar to post in search of justice. She maintained that the authorities are directly responsible for the distress and instability faced by these families.
The JKGBYWC has issued an urgent appeal to Forest Minister Javed Ahmed Rana to personally intervene and take stern action against the erring officers,” the statement reads.
The organizations have also called upon the Tribal Affairs Department, the nodal agency for the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, to immediately recommend the registration of an FIR against the forest officials involved for alleged violations of FRA norms.
Finally, the organizations expressed deep disappointment over what they termed the “criminal silence” of the local MLA and other political leaders. They stated that it is the duty of elected representatives to speak up for a community that is already landless and vulnerable. The leadership concluded by asserting that they will no longer tolerate such treatment and are prepared to launch a full-scale campaign against those responsible for the two years of harassment faced by the Bakerwal families. (KINS)
