Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 20: Alleging that houses of poor Gujjars are being demolished selectively in Jammu, International Gujjar Masabha (IGM) has urged the J&K LG to stop this discrimination on the pretext of encroachment drive.
The issue was discussed threadbare in a meeting of IGM held under the presdientship of Col Dev Anand Gujjar, president of the Sabha. The members from J&K, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, UP, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra participated in meeting through video conferencing.
“The Gujjars of J&K supported and welcomed abrogation of Article 370 with the hope that they will get their rights which eluded them for years but Gujjars are still feeling isolated and are being selectively targeted by the J&K Government,” the speakers said.
They said that on July 18 the J&K administration selectively demolished the houses of Gujjars in Jammu on the grounds of encroachment on state land. The speakers said that the district administration issued notice on July 17 to vacate the land within 5 days but demolished the structures on the very next day i.e. July 18 in utter disregard for the law of land, without giving the victims any opportunity of being heard.
In a unanimous resolution passed during the meeting, the IGM requested the J&K LG GC Murmu to direct divisional administration to take cognizance of Tribal Forest Right Act of 2006, issue order for investigation into the matter, make suitable housing arrangement for the Gujjars whose houses have been demolished and stop any such selective demolition in future.
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