JUSTICE DELIVERED FOR BAKARWAL GURJARS OF J&K COL DEV ANAND GURJAR NATIONAL PRESIDENT IGM
Source : Our National Advisor Col.Devanand IGM President
ST & Forest Acts : Justice Delivered For Bakarwal – Gurjars of J&K …. Col Dev Anand Gurjar , National President IGM
20 Sep 21 , Jaipur While interacting with community leaders sharing update on recently concluded visit to J&K UT, Col dev anand Gurjar, National President ,International Gurjar Mahasabha ( IGM ) a strong voice of tribal Gujjar-Bakerwals, extended gratitude to the PM Sh Narendra Modi Ji and Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, for implementing completely The Forest Rights Act-2006 ( FRA) in J&K UT and said that it will certainly change the life of the Nomadic Tribal Gurjar -Bakarwal in J&K. Forest Rights act 2006, provides legal protection to the nomadic tribal gurjar with regards to the land , grazing and use of forest products/byproducts rights
Colonel said that Extending of ST ( Schedule Tribe) Act, ScST Atrocities Act and FRA in Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory around 2 years back has started displaying it’s impact on life of “Nomadic Tribal Gurjar Community ” the third latest community of state J&K UT. He said all though the Gurjar Bakarwals have been victim of political discremenation since 1947, But the beginning of change for Nomadic Gurjar Bakarwal fight for their rights started when under banner of “International Gurjar Mahasabha(IGM)” he started the awareness campaign to unite & sensitise people and government about the serious discrimination against the Patriotic and nationalistic community. J&K is the only state in northwest India having a share of nearly 15 percent population of STs. As per the 2011 census, the total population of STs in J&K counted 14.9 lakhs.In J&K, three communities, namely Gujjar – Bakarwal, Gaddi, and Sippi were notified as the Scheduled Tribes vide the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Act, 1991.
It would be pertinent to note that though ST act came to be enacted by the Parliament in 1991 and FRA in 2006, but their implimentaion was discussed by none and benefits were denied by the successive political dispensations and leaders to the tribals Gurjar Bakarwal of J&K for decades. The long Vanvaas came to end when Modi – II government extended their due rights to them on 31 Oct 2019 which was made.possible only due to abrogation of article 370 .
He also thanked the Modi II govt for the political empowerment of tribal community by extending political ST reservation, because of which in the historic concluded first-ever district development council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir, 38 Gujjar community candidates including 15 tribal women have emerged victorious and around 28 candidates lost with narrow margins. Jammu province has 26 winning candidates from the Gurjar – Bakerwal . Amongs the winners from the Gujjar community, 82 percent are first timer youth and constituted Highest number of educated tribal youth of Gujjar community signalling hope for better future for the community which suffered for 7 long decades the adverse impact of “article 370 “.It was made possible by the mplementation of political reservation in Jammu and Kashm that such a high number of people from the Gujjars-Bakarwal community have formed part of the governing bodies at the rural level and accordingly economic /educational / social positive change is visible .
SC/ST Atrocities act will help to seek justice against social discrimination against the community experienced in past on many instances on regular intervals.
Advised the ground level team to understand the forest right and ST Atrocities act and use them positively for improving quality of life of tribals and educating future generations and continue displaying holding Tiranga high with ” Nation First and Ek Hind Jai Hind ” motto of IGM.
