SRINAGAR, Feb 25: Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Saturday put off an eviction drive in a forest area after its dwellers aired their grievances.Notices to vacate land were issued to the forest dwellers in Nagra’s area of Qazigund in south Kashmir by the forest department officials a few days ago.Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Anantnag, Mohammad Ramzan said, “The Government of India has put on hold the evictions from the forest areas. After it (the issue) came to my notice, I talked to the deputy Commissioner and have issued an order directing all range officers to put on hold the eviction drive till further orders.”A third-generation member of a community living in the forest said their community have been guarding its area for centuries and completely depend on them for sustenance.“We have been living here for three generations now, for 300 years and this is not a new encroachment. If there is anyone who guards these forests, it is the Gujjars. There is a connection between a Gujjar and a forest. Our sustenance and livelihood depend on these forests,” Riyaz Ah Chechi, a resident said,He said some officials from the forest department pasted the eviction notices on their houses.“Our people are in shock, our children have not eaten for the last few days. Where will we go as we do not have any other land. We do not even get Schedule Tribe (ST) certificates. I appeal to the administration that we hardly sustain our lives, where will we go,” he said.Chechi said the members of the community raised the issue with the administration, seeking clarification as a similar drive was put on hold by the government last year.“We went to the tehsildar, block development officer (BDO), and even to the district commissioner (DC) who said a camp will be held here. The DC marked our application to the assistant commissioner of revenue (ACR), who in turn sent a letter to the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), Tehsildar Qazigund, and to forest officials to look into our grievances, check the issue and settle our claims,” he said.Phupu Chechi (90), whose family has been living there for five generations, said a simple notice from the authorities cannot take away everything from them.“Where will we go? We have been living here for many years, for five generations. A simple notice has been pasted here by the authorities and they are asking us to leave. Where will we go? Everything we have is here,” he said.Although the drive has been put on halt for the time being, the Anantnag DFO said the field staff has been asked not to trouble the members of the community, adding that the orders of the government from time to time will be followed.
