Irshad Khatana
Travelling by foot into the higher reaches of Lidroo area in Pahalgam the former chief minister of erstwhile state of Jammu Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti on Monday met the members of the indigenous Gujjar and Bakerwal community in the area.
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Mufti met various members of the community whose houses had been demolished in the recent demolition drive that the authorities say was launched against illegal occupants of the forest land.
While warning the authorities of dire consequences against such “Anti People” moves, She said that the government is pushing these nomads to the wall by destroying their houses in the harsh winter.
Hundreds of people who gathered here to welcome the PDP president expressed thankfulness to her for visiting the area, where she addressing the people asked, “The community has been living here for decades, why are they being evicted from the area?” adding, ” These people have been protecting the forests from decades now.”
Mehbooba Mufti asking the administration and central Government to stop the ‘Anti-people’ moves said, “This is our land, the land of people of Jammu Kashmir, You cannot touch it.”
She said that “24,000 Kanals of land have been already transferred to the the industries, the administration must come clear as to who is being granted the land.”
Mehbooba Mufti said that the move to evict the indigenous community is a part of the decision that was made the last year on August 05, when the special status of Jammu Kashmir was removed.
Pertinently in 2018, Mehbooba Mufti had ordered that no member of the indigenous Gujjar and Bakerwal community must be removed from any forest area.