Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, Oct 2: In view of growing tension on Indo-Pak border and having firing on Line of Control- Gujjars the main habitant of border today made an appeal to local administration requesting it to shift the nomadic Gujjars- Bakerwals along with their livestock to safer areas temporarily so that they may run their livelihood.
“We-the Gujjars and Bakerwals are the main sufferers of border firing,” said noted Gujjar scholar -Dr Javaid Rahi, who presided over a meeting organised by Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation held here to discuss the issue of border firing and rehabilitation of tribal and nomadic population residing near Line of Control and International Border.
He said that the Gujjars and Bakerwals are the main tribal group of Jammu Kashmir and constitute 20 percent of total J&K population who occupy frontier areas on Indo-Pak Border in J&K from Poonch to Lakhanpur and Uri / Karnah to Gurez and Kargil.
The speakers mainly drawn from Gujjar community made an appeal to Union Home Minister, Governor N N Vohra and Chief Minister -J&K through TRCF and urged for a directive to local authorities to provide shelter and food and other facilities to tribal Gujjars and arrange fodder for their livestock. Speakers asked members of the community to approach local administration for help.
It was decided in the meeting that a team of TRCF will visit the area where firing incidents occurred to assess the situation on the ground.
The speakers said, since 1947, 1965 and 1971, the Gujjars faced the major brunt of three wars between India and Pakistan, on Line of Control and International Border and killed in large number.
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