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Written by: Sajad Iqbal Poswal

Category: ENVIRONMENT

Published: 21 March 2020

SRINAGAR: Former Cabinet Minister Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali today raised the issue of implementation of the Schedule Tribe and other traditional forest dwellers (Recognition of Forests Rights)act 2006 ( No. 2 of 2007) in Jammu & Kashmir.

On 18th December 2006, the Indian Parliament passed legislation whereby the Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers were fortified with the rights on forest land and other resources. It was an initiative of the Government of India to redress the historical injustice committed against tribes who are the main forest dwellers, while including provisions for making conservation more effective and more transparent.

Population of Tribes in UT of Jammu & Kashmir, five tribal communities have been listed in Constitution of India as ST’s includes Gujjar, Bakarwal, Gaddi, Sippi and Shin/Dard. They, as per census 2011, constitute more than 10% population of the state. The Gujjar and Bakerwal together comprise 90 percent of the total tribal population in UT of J&K. However, Gujjars have questioned the official statistics time and again by asserting that their population is much more than what the census reports. They claim that the census was undertaken during the time of their annual migration. Due to this, a large population of their tribe, who was in the upper reaches of the Himalaya, was not counted. The census hence under-reports the population of Gujjar and Bakerwals who constitute no less than 15 to 20 percent of total population of the of J&K.

Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali said that people's of Jammu and Kashmir are confused on enforcement of Indian Forest Act 1927 of concurrent list as Forest Dwellers Scheduled tribe act. Recognition of Forests Right Act. He said forest right act is in union list and already applied in state of Jammu and Kashmir from 31st Oct 2019. And need to implement in the state turned Union Territory at the earliest.

He twitted this on his twitter handle , Zulfkar said that the Act will address the issue of historical injustice towards the tribals by providing various kinds of rights to the tribals in the state. He added that the Act provides ownership and access rights to forest dwellers and gives them a right to live in forests with freedom to carry out their traditional occupations for livelihood; the rights of ownership, access to collect, use and dispose of Minor Forest Produce (MSP); conservation and management of forest resources; and the right of access to biodiversity and community rights.

He termed this act beneficial for both state and tribals. He said that Forest Rights Act, ensures both rights to the tribals and conservation and management of forest resources.

We will soon meet LG Jammu and Kashmr for the implementation of Forest Right Act in Jammu and Kashmir , we already raised this issue during meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi he added, Zulfkar also appealed to J&K LG GC Murmu to act against officials of Forest department of Jammu and Kashmir who are involved in harassment of tribal people and harassment should be stopped immediately.