Tribes demand law to preserve grazing land

Jammu, June 16

The Gujjar and Bakerwal tribes on Sunday voiced concern over fast-shrinking grazing land and demanded a law to preserve it in the state.

At a programme organised by the Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation here, speakers urged the government to come up with a law to restrict conversion of grazing land in the state.

Javaid Rahi, president, Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation, said the Gujjars and Bakerwals were the main animal-rearing communities of the state and lakhs of nomads were solely dependent upon the grazing land.

He said, “grazing areas, pastoral land and other community resources belonging to a tribe/village/area or others may not be converted or vested to an agency or agencies for any type of usage.”

“Such changes can badly affect centuries-old migratory traditions of Gujjars, Bakerwals, Gaddis, Sippis and Chanpas of Ladakh,” he said, adding that the grazing land must be used for animal rearing only and should strictly kept for the tribal community’s use.

He said the grazing land was shrinking fast due its rapid conversion for different purposes and a large number of tribal families were facing helplessness.

They further urged the state government to formulate a plan for eviction of illegal/unauthorised occupants of grazing land meant for community use. —TNS