Srinagar June 26 (KNS): It is almost one year since a local court in Chadoora pronounced an order directing authorities to conduct maha gram sabha in Branwar and adjoining villages to decide about granting grazing rights under the Forest Rights Act -FRA, but authorities allegedly have failed to implement the order alleged a group of people from Branwar Chadoora in District Budgam. The group told KNS that local Gujjar and other forest dwellers are allegedly deprived of this legal right that was granted to them under the Forest Rights Act-FRA which has been extended to J&K post article 370 abrogation.

A delegation of aggrieved grazers and local population told KNS that in-spite of court order pronounced last year in July by Sub Judge Chadoora, the district administration Budgam has failed to conduct the said maha gram sabha for granting grazing rights to the claimants in Chaskaninaad & adjoining meadows in Pir Panjal Forest Division of district Budgam. Several people had been claiming to have grazing rights on this vast meadow which is spread over 1000 hectares of pastureland, but the grazing rights are yet to be given to the people.

The Sub Judge Chadoora who is also the Senior Division Civil in its July 25th 2024 order had directed for holding a maha gram sabha – also called Deh Majlis or village assembly on granting grazing rights to the local population as mandated under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 also known as Forest Rights Act -FRA. Locals of Branwar allege that even after almost 1 year, the said order was never enforced on the ground.

A group of locals from Branwar and Jabbad villages in Chadoora Budgam namely Abdul Rashid Gorsi, Ghulam Mohammad Thekrey, Shabir Jahara, Ali Mohammad Jahara and others who have been defendants in the case told KNS that authorities are allegedly favouring a few influential families who have given this vast meadow on lease to grazers from Rajouri and Poonch and thus deprive them of the legitimate rights granted to them under Forest Rights Act.

As per the court order a copy of which is with KNS , the defendant party led by Ghulam Mohammad Thekrey and others were asked to utilize other 12 designated meadows until gram sabha was held , but Thekrey told KNS that he and his villagers are unable to do that as dozens of chopans and bakerwals are already occupying those meadows and that area is mere 30 % of the total meadows while as Chaskaninaad consists of 70 % area of total meadows in Doodh Ganga forest range in Pir Panjal forest division.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

“ We are unable to understand the logic behind allowing three or four families to utilize 1000 acres (8000 Kanals) of Chaskaninaad meadows while as sheep of 100 plus families are being asked to come down to other places ? The shepherds in lower reaches like Ayud , Korag, Diskhal, Bodangan, Zandkabar are not allowing us to graze the sheep in their meadows. How can we go there ? Chaskaninaad is a huge valley spread over more than 50,000 kanals of land when we include its hillocks, but we are being deprived to use that” said Ali Mohammad Jahara a resident of Jabbad Branwar in Budgam

The aggrieved recently met Deputy Commissioner Budgam who asked the SDM Chadoora to conduct the gram sabha. The SDM has directed BDO Surasyar to work on this but locals allege that all this is going on at snail's pace.

“ Shepherds hired by people of Branwar, Neegu and Jabbad have already taken almost 2000 sheep up around Chaskaninaad meadow. There are only a few Bakerwal families putting up and 99 % pasture land is open , but the police is asking us to come down while the Revenue Department and Forest Department have no issues. On one hand the Govt claims to be giving several rights to tribal communities especially the Forest Rights Act which is meant to safeguard our grazing rights but the way we are being constantly pressured by police is unjustified and I appeal to the DGP , IGP to intervene. We want gram sabha to be held soon as per court orders and if we lose this fight we will never go to Chaskaninaad but if we win then we should not be harassed ” said Ali Mohammad Jahara(KNS)