Irfan A Mir
Srinagar, Nov 16 (KNS): People’s Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti on Monday warned New Delhi to refrain from evicting nomadic families in wooden areas in Kashmir valley as it will have serious ramifications in future. She said the community has never opted for violence but the Central Government is intentionally pushing them to violence.
According to Kashmir News Service (KNS), Mehbooba who met several families in upper reaches of south Kashmir’s Pahalgam area whose residential houses were grounded to zero recently by administration during an eviction drive, lashed out at central government and warned New Delhi to desist from evacuating nomadic families from their ancestral areas. Terming the community “real care-taker” of forest land, Mehbooba said Gujjars and Bakerwals are living here since decades, their ancestors were living here, they took care of these wooden areas and always supported peace and never resorted to violence.
“These are the real care takers of jungle areas and now are being evicted from their ancestral places illegally. New Delhi is imposing anti-people policies in J&K and if the drive is not stopped forthwith, it will have serious consequences”, Mehbooba said.
While hitting hard to New Delhi, Mehbooba said that BJP who is ruling both at centre and in J&K, first replaced PRC with Domicile Law in order to bring non-locals here from across the country. “New Delhi is trying to evict locals from J&K and rehabilitate people from other parts of country. I want to make them clear that Gujjars, Bakerwals and others who are staying in forest areas since decades are the real care-takers of wooden areas. They are peace-loving people and have never opted the path of violence”, she said.
The PDP chief alleged that while evicting nomadic families from their areas, Government is deliberately pushing them to violence which they have never opted but I think they are being intentionally dragged to violence.
Mehbooba termed the eviction drive “illegal” and appealed Central Government to refrain from carrying out the drive as it will impact serious repercussions in future. She added that New Delhi has already transferred 24,000 kanals of land to non-locals for establishing industries.
“I want to ask them to whom they want to handover our lush green forests now”, she added. (KNS)