Ban grazing land conversion: Gujjars

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 15

Two major tribal communities — Gujjars and Bakerwals – on Sunday demanded that the authorities should stop conversion of grazing lands and act against the land mafia.

Prominent intellectuals and members of the tribal communities on Sunday said the grazing areas and pastoral lands in the state should not be allowed to be converted for any purpose. The issue was discussed during a programme organised by the Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation on the topic, ‘Grazing land and tribes of J&K’.

The event was presided over by noted Gujjar researcher Javaid Rahi. Tribal elders, youth and scholars spoke on the occasion.

Rahi said the livelihood of lakhs of nomads was solely dependent on the grazing land since centuries. “The grazing areas, pastoral land and other community resources belong to a tribe and village but some influential persons are trying to encroach upon it,” he said.

He said such changes could badly affect the centuries-old migratory culture and traditions of the Gujjars, Bakerwals, Gaddis, Sippis and Chanpas of Ladakh.

“The grazing land must be used for animal rearing only and should strictly be kept for the use of the tribal community,” he said.

Speakers alleged that after the implementation of the Roshni Act in J&K, under which the government had vested the ownership of land in the occupants, the grazing and state land had been occupied by influential persons.