Left without Shelter: 17 Houses of Gujjar Bakarwal Community Demolished in Jammu.

On Tuesday, Jammu Development Authority (JDA) claimed that it retrieved 41 Kanal prime land at Roop Nagar, Sector 6, Jammu. This came at the cost of 17 houses belonging to Gujjar Bakarwal community.

The “anti-encroachment” drive was collectively launched by the District Administration, Police personnel and JDA at Sector-06 Roop Nagar, Tehsil Jammu north.

As per the officials, the encroached land falling under Khasra No. 1193 and 1206 was retrieved during the 5-hour long anti-encroachment drive.

During the entire drive, 17 pacca/kacha structures raised upon the JDA land were dismantled and removed. After the completion of drive, around 75 percent retrieved land was fenced by the JDA.

The locals of the area tried to stop the officials from carrying out the anti encroachment drive. But they were ‘managed’ by police who were accompanied to them, Locals told The Kashmiriyat.

The officials said the JDA has already sold many plots of the land but were not able to give possession to the legal owners owing to the encroachment and legal battle. Since the court had vacated the stay sometime back, the JDA took the action to retrieve the land, they added.

Locals in Distress.

A local, Choudhary Zeera, spoke to The Kashmiriyat over phone and said that the officials didn’t issue any eviction notice to the residents before demolition. “All of a sudden on Tuesday morning, the bulldozers, machines along with the officials of JDA arrived around a cluster of houses and started demolition without giving any warning to the residents,” Zeera said.

The residents especially women tried to resist the move of demolition, however the Police personnel in large numbers disallowed any kind of resistance or protest. Zeera added that after demolition, around 17 -18 families were left with no roof during harsh cold.

“We have been living here for at least thirty years, and today we have nowhere to hide ourselves. We have no home left,” he said.

He said the residents were given no time to take out their belongings before the demolition drive was launched. “We have purchased the lands from officials and have not been living illegaly, we can show them the papers, only if they demand,” he said.

Claiming that the officials have been trying to target them from several months he said, They (admin) are planning to sell the land to rich people, that is why we (poor) are being removed.

“Where shall we go? The Government claims it is providing housing to poor, but in reality it has been snatching the livelihoods and shelters of people in Jammu Kashmir,” Zeera said. Other than houses, we lost household items worth crores as no prior warning was given to the residents.

Opposition

Irshad Hussain Choudhary, a young activist from Jammu Kashmir Gujjar Bakerwal Youth Welfare Conference told The Kashmiriyat that the drive was a pre planned conspiracy against their community.

“After the abrogation of Article 370, tall claims were made that Gujar Bakarwaal Community would be uplifted. But, nothing happened on ground,” he said.

“These people have been living there since 1975. And beating people in a such a manner is highly shameful,” Showkat said.

Choudhary further said that “Let’s suppose they really were on the government land. But is this the way to beat people? We want Government to intervene and compensate those whose houses were dismantled during demolition drive.”

Former Chief Minister of erstwhile state, Jammu and Kashmir Mehboob tweeted, “J&K admin’s selective demolition of houses in Jammu & rendering tribals homeless is yet another method to vent their hatred by targeting minorities. Seemingly these communal policy decisions are sanctioned at the top. People need to stand up against such atrocities.”

Senior CPI(M) leader and former legislator M Y Tarigami said, “This is how ST (scheduled tribe) and tribal communities are being treated while government claiming to be empowering them.