Sitting under a tent pitched on the premises of the Mata Gujri Elementary Teachers Training and Research Institute, Talib Hussain has come a long way to be here from the township of Bari Brahmana. His motive: to acquire land being distributed to members of the Muslim Gujjar community. “I left my family and cattle behind and walked along the railway track from Bari Brahmana to get here,” he says. Also here is Ghulam Rasool from the same settlement. He has left behind his wife, five children and cattle herds. “My deceased brother’s four children are also staying with them,” he said.

Talib and Ghulam represent a growing problem in Jammu. Already feeling threatened by the Hindu-led Amarnath agitation in the region, many Gujjars have begun leaving their homes, driven by a word-of-mouth ‘campaign’ promising them free land.

Nearly 100 Gujjars, including women and children, have assembled on the premises of the institute, run by a local National Conference leader, Chowdhary Haroon.

This migration began a week ago. After a couple of families arrived here initially, far greater numbers began their journey after hearing rumours about the wealth in store for them.

However, this phenomenon has baffled Gujjar leaders, who have informed the administration about the matter. According to Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Sudhanshu Pandey and Inspector General of Police, Jammu zone, K Rajindra, the situation may have been engineered by parties with vested interests, who wish to drive the Gurjjars out of their kullas (mud huts).

... contd.