JDA officials attacked by Gujjars

Half a dozen officials of Jammu Development Authority (JDA) including a Superintending Engineer and a Junior Engineer were injured when a group of Gujjars attacked them with stones and lathis after they retrieved 274 kanals land from the encroachers at village Kirpalpur in Phallayan Mandal area under the jurisdiction of Satwari police station this afternoon.

Police have registered an attempt to murder case at Satwari police station against 15 Gujjars, six of whom have been identified. Police conducted searches for them but all of them were absconding.

Official sources said a JDA team headed by its Vice Chairperson Ms Sarita Chouhan and Director Land Management Babu Ram had gone to Kirpalpur in Phallayan Mandal area following reports about encroachment on JDA land by the Gujjars. 

Few days back also, the JDA team had visited the village.

Sources said a total of 274 kanals land has been retrieved in the villages from the possession of encroachers. Some structures, constructed by the encroachers, were also demolished.

"Today, when the JDA team was inspecting the retrieved land and its Engineers were busy identifying the spot for fencing to protect JDA land, the Gujjars started pelting stones on them and attack them with lathis’’, sources said, adding that half a dozen JDA officials including Superintending Engineer Tilak Raj were injured.

Police parties led by SP City (South) Rajeshwar Singh, SDPO Gandhi Nagar ML Kaith and SHO Satwari Abid Rafiqi rushed to the spot. Injured officials were admitted to the Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu.

Police parties with the help of field staff of JDA officials have identified five to seven Gujjars, who were involved in attack on the team. A total of 15 Gujjars had attacked the JDA team, police said, adding that a case under Section 307 RPC (attempt to murder) has been registered against all the accused at Satwari police station for further investigations.

Police parties conducted raids at Kirpalpur and several other places adjacent to it in Phallayan Mandal in search of the accused. However, all of them were absconding and have not been arrested so far.

Few days back, Vice Chairperson JDA Ms Sarita Chouhan and Deputy Commissioner, Jammu Sanjeev Verma had visited Ragoora and other places and vacated a large chunk of Government land from the possession of encroachers.

Sources said police personnel have been deployed at village Kirpalpur in Phallayan Mandal area to ensure that retrieved land was not captured again by the Gujjars.

Mitigate sufferings of Gujjars

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NGBWT to bring awareness among Gujjar community

National Gurjjar-Bakerwal Welfare Trust (NGBWT) will educate and work on all round development of about fifteen crore Gujjar community including 40 lakh Gujjar and Bakerwals living in Jammu and Kashmir, and also constituted its body, here today.

Addressing a press conference, Er Ghulam Ali, national president, Gujjar-Bakerwal Welfare Trust told media personals that Trust will educate the Gujjars for maximum enrolment in different educational institutions and work for their due share as per their population; Educate the community for maximum avenues and share in employment in Government, public and private sector; To promote and preserve Gujjar Bakerwals culture; Manage the study, teaching, research of Gojri language and its inclusion in 8th Schedule of Indian Constitution.

Other developmental issues raised pertained to work for promotion of Gujjar news bulletin, folk songs through/TV channels and works for due space in these channels, and also to work to educate the community for political empowerment and other allied works.

On the occasion, national working committee members were also announced, who included Jagdish Caparana, (MP), Qumr Rubbani, (Rajasthan), Choudhary Abdullah (Kashmir) and Lal Husain Lodha (Jammu) as vice presidents, Rajendra Singh Gurjar as general secretary, Manzoor Badana (Udhampur) and Sonia Chodhary (Reasi ( as secretaries). Various other members were also announced for other districts.

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Mitigate sufferings of Gujjars

J&K Gujjar and Bakerwal Tehreek-e-Insaaf has criticized the Government, for the plight of the community, which is suffering and facing day to day problems.

Addressing a press conference here Mohd Aslam Kohli, president, J&K Gujjar and Bakerwal Tehreek-e-Insaaf while referring to functioning of Advisory Board under the leadership of Sakina Itoo, Minister of Social Welfare and Vice Chairman Gujjar and Bakerwal Advisory Board, Bashir Ahmad Naaz, stated that the Board has not taken any step to mitigate the sufferings of this poor and down trodden community rather they have miserably failed to uplift the same.

He urged the Government to hold an enquiry through CBI and take stern action against those who have miserably failed to set right the condition. He said that students belonging to Gujjar and Bakerwal community are totally denied of their rights and above all no action is being taken by the Government to open one thousand Anganwari centers in Gujjar Bakerwal bastis so far. A girl hostel is being constructed in a jungle where no facilities would be provided to hostel inmates.

Vice Chairman, Gujjar Bakerwal Welfare Board, Bashir Ahmad Naaz, he said, has failed to establish District Board members and those who have been recommended for nomination of members as, they were allegedly being asked to give gratifications and all guidelines are being set-aside without any reason so that the blue eyed persons could get nomination.

On being asked about their reaction if Government failed to mitigate their grievances, the president said they will be bound to come on roads for which they will not be responsible.

The meeting was attended and addressed among others by Ch Noor Ahmad, provincial joint secretary, Ch Fazal Hussain, vice president, Ch Abdul Aziz, provincial president, Kashmir and Ch Said-ud-Din, State general secretary, Bandipora.

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Gojri folk music Festival

In a bid to expose the younger generation of Gujjar community to their rich folk musical heritage, a State level folk music bonanza was organized by Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages at the auditorium of Gujjar Desh Trust for Cultural Heritage, here today.

Today’s program specially aimed for the city based Gujjar children, who are fast moving away from their tribal mooring in the light of present day flux of change and globalization, showcased rich treasure of folk songs that were rendered by leading groups and individuals draw from the divisions of Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking at the occasion, Impressed by the scintillating performance of folk artistes and the hearty response by the Gujjar children, the chief guest of the function Choudhary Bashir Ahmed Naz, Vice Chairman J&K Sate Advisory Board for Development of Gujjar and Bakerwal, said that Board will support holding of such festivals in all districts of the State. He also suggested holding of mega folk musical concerts in capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu. He said Board would also give financial assistance to organizations like Cultural Academy or others to make feature films in Gojari language. Earlier, Dr Javaid Rahi, HoD, Gojri Section of State Cultural Academy, in his welcome address said that the purpose of holding such festival was to reach out to the new generation of the community and introduce the rich cultural heritage of Gujjars.He said it was first of its kind effort of the Cultural Academy to collaborate with NGOs like Gujjar Desh Trust which is working for the promotion and development of Gujjar culture and heritage.

He said Academy’s emphasis is upon audio-visual documentation of folk artistic treasure so as to preserve the heritage that stands threatened by the challenges of globalization and satellite channels.

About 50 artistes from different parts of the State performed on the occasion. Prominent among them included Bashir Mastana, Begum Jan and party, Razia Begum and party, Tasleema Choudhary and party, Rukhsana Choudhary and group, Gulam Mohammad Dansalia and party. Shameema Akhtar Janbaaz, Additional Secretary, Cultural Academy presented the vote of thanks.