By Guest Author

Nahida Mushtaq & Abu Bakr Maqbool

Tensions have erupted in the remote village of Mamer in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir after forest officials allegedly assaulted members of the Gujjar community protesting against the construction of a nursery on their traditional grazing land.

The incident in the first week of February highlights the ongoing struggle of tribal communities in Jammu and Kashmir to secure their rights under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006, a law designed to protect forest-dwelling communities but which remains largely unimplemented in the region.

The confrontation, which took place in Kangan Tehsil, began as a peaceful protest led by tribal women against a compensatory afforestation project initiated by the Forest Department. The project, approved in 2022 under the Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), aimed to offset deforestation caused by the construction of the Thune village to Badipathri road.

The Gujjars, a predominantly pastoral and agrarian community, have lived in the area for generations depending on the forest for grazing land, firewood, and various other resources vital to their way of life. Many in the community believe that the forest department’s plantation initiative was part of a broader effort to seize land from Indigenous communities and use it for commercial or government projects.

For the Gujjar community, the project raised fears of displacement and the loss of vital grazing land essential to their pastoral way of life.

“They came once, then twice, and then four times. Each time I sat there with them, pleading for mercy. I even touched their feet, hoping they would spare us. But instead of listening, they beat me with a stick,” said Arshi Begum, 61, recounting the repeated raids by forest officials.

The protest turned violent when forest personnel, accompanied by guards and police, allegedly responded aggressively. Videos circulating on social media show disturbing scenes of officials physically assaulting women, pushing them aside, and using vulgar language. Even young girls were not spared.

This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.