Regaining trust

In 1965, as Pakistan launched Operation Gibraltar, Mohammad Din Jagir, a resident of North Kashmir belonging to the Gujjar community, was asked by the infiltrators for help in their grand mission to annex Kashmir. He instead alerted the Indian Army about their presence. Jagir, who was killed by militants in 1990, was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1996.

In 2003, when the Army launched Operation Sarpvinash in the Pir Panjal range of Jammu region to flush out militants, it were the Gujjars who actively supported the Army to hunt down the infiltrators from the heights in Poonch district.

It’s a pattern that is intrinsic to the bond between the security forces and the nomadic communities in Jammu and Kashmir. The Gujjars and Bakerwals are considered their “eyes and ears”, informing them about any suspicious activity in the thick forest regions, and remote mountain heights.

However, with the theatre of militancy now shifting to the mountains of Jammu region again after years of lull, there is concern over the changed dynamics. There’s been a noticeable slowdown of information flow, and a sense of distrust and alienation has set in. So, what has driven the Gujjars away from the security forces?

Community members and leaders point to incidents over the past few years.

“There are several reasons actually,” says Tahir Hussain, a Gujjar from Marrah village of Poonch district, who led from the front as the Army and the police launched Operation Sarpvinash in 2003. There is a feeling, he adds, that BJP’s policies are against Gujjars. “Today, we are viewed with suspicion despite no one being more nationalistic than us… it is just that people from the community have now decided to remain silent,” he adds.

One particular incident that triggered anguish and hurt was the rape of a minor Gujjar girl in Kathua district in 2018. It soon turned into a divisive communal issue, with some senior leaders and a BJP minister in the then PDP-led government holding a rally in support of the accused.

Another jolt for the community came when three Gujjars from Topa Peer village in Bafliaz, Poonch, were found dead after they were allegedly picked up by the Army in December 2023. They were being questioned after an ambush on an Army convoy in which four soldiers were killed.

Last month, a Gujjar youth — Mohammad Parvez — was killed by a police party in Jammu city. Police said he was killed in cross-firing with drug peddlers, a charge denied by the shocked community.

Earlier, in February, a Gujjar youth ended his life after he was allegedly tortured in police custody in Kathua.

There is a large concentration of Gujjars and Bakerwals in Rajouri and Poonch districts. Because of the nomadic nature of their lifestyle, many are not able to get themselves registered in the Census. However, according to data compiled by researchers, they constitute 14-16 per cent of the total population of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir. During their bi-annual migration, along with their livestock, from the mountains and plains, they reside in dhoks or temporary shelters.

Anwar Choudhary, convener of the All Jammu and Kashmir Gujjar and Bakerwal Coordination Committee, claims the alleged harassment by the security forces is one of the reasons why many members of the community have decided to “go into a shell”.

“Many of them have also been displaced from their lands in the name of infrastructure development in the recent past. Such incidents only add to the fear factor. It could result in restricted communication with the Gujjars, who are already isolating themselves, unless things change,” says Choudhary. Attempts are also being made to defame the community, he claims.

The security forces and intelligence agencies have taken cognisance of the fears expressed by the Gujjar representatives.

Many leaders in J&K also point to political reasons. The Central government accorded Scheduled Tribe status to the Pahari ethnic group in February last year, a move that was opposed tooth and nail by the Gujjars and Bakerwals as they felt it would reduce their quota representation.

Gujjars, Bakerwals and some other groups have enjoyed ST reservation for decades. “Even though the Pahari reservation has ST II status, we know that it is an anti-Gujjar move,” says Tahir.

Javed Rahi, a prominent tribal researcher, says many Gujjars and Bakerwals serve in security forces and have also sacrificed their lives while fighting against terrorism in J&K. “However, incidents in which atrocities are reported cause damage not only to the social fabric, but also affect the psyche of the tribals. The tribals see themselves as one unit, and whenever there is an untoward incident involving a single individual, all of them unite. Security forces need to understand that Gujjars have always helped them and will continue to do so for the country, but there is a need for restraint,” he adds.

Former commander of the Army’s Northern Command Lt Gen DS Hooda (retd) says other than being the eyes and ears of the security forces, the Gujjars have been their great supporters and helped in beating back insurgency and terrorism in Jammu region. According to him, there are many reasons behind the “slight drift” of the community away from the security forces. “There are also some political reasons. Also, things got better in Jammu. When I was there 10 years back, they said Jammu had become almost terror-free. That could also have weakened to some extent the connection the Army had,” he says.

Lt Gen Hooda explains how the Army used to play a huge role earlier in forging strong bonds: “When these people went on their migration, the Army used to do a lot to help them out. I remember mobile schools used to be set up. We used to send people there and organise sports meets. They used to have these horse-riding competitions.”

He also stresses that “one or two incidents come out in the media so it creates a bit of a hype”. The former Army commander says while the forces should avoid such incidents, “one or two incidents don’t reflect what the Army units are doing in the Jammu and Kashmir region”.

So, what is needed? A bigger outreach, says Lt Gen Hooda, adding that it has already started on the ground. “Outreach, I think, both at the political as well as at the military level. That bonding with this community needs to be strengthened.”

He says these communities have a huge role to play in terms of human intelligence. “They have also sacrificed a lot. When they turned against the terrorists, there were massacres of Gujjars. We need to remember that history and acknowledge their contribution.”

J&K Cabinet Minister Javed Ahmad Rana, a prominent tribal leader, recently alleged that since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, “minorities are being harassed” in some districts of Jammu region. Certain untoward incidents, he claims, have been taking place due to an imbalance in the administrative system.

Leaving aside the accusations, there is consensus that an outreach is essential.

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