Nomadic tribes allege rights violation in J&K demolitions, file police complaint

Nomadic Gujjars and Backerwals, whose houses have been demolished by the administration, have filed a complaint with the police, alleging that “demolition of their tribal habitations” are in violation of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and Forest Rights Act, 2006. They have sought action against the officials who razed around 30 habitations in Raika Bandi and Mahamaya forest belt in Jammu on Tuesday. According to the Shama Akhtar, councillor of the area, the demolished structures were protected under the law and no prior notice, eviction order, rehabilitation plan or opportunity of hearing was provided to them before the demolition drive. “We have submitted the complaint with police and the deputy commissioner. We expect quick action,” Akhtar said. On Wednesday, the Omar Abdullah govt constituted a two-member committee to investigate the demolitions. According to an order issued by the tribal affairs department, the panel has been to submit its report within seven days. The demolition, which led to widespread criticism and protests, has once again put the National Conference govt in the state at loggerheads with the LG administration. J&K's forest and tribal affairs minister Javed Ahmad Rana, who visited the area after the drive, said he was “deeply shocked and outraged by the clandestine unilateral demolition of homes”. Mian Altaf Ahmad, NC MP from Rajouri Poonch and South Kashmir regions, said, “this high-handedness by the administration and forest department is unacceptable.” PDP leader Iltija Mufti, who visited the area, said “bulldozer model is being implemented in J&K now.” “What’s deeply worrying and appalling is that unlike UP & West Bengal, the government normalising and facilitating these patently illegal demolition drives is a non-BJP NC government,” she alleged. On May 13, hundreds of protesters led by BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa had taken out a rally on Sidhra road and later staged a sit-in demanding immediate removal of illegal occupants. The protesters raised slogans against “outsider land-grabbers" and warned of a major agitation if immediate action was not taken to stop encroachment of govt land.