J and K, may,22nd, In a significant demolition drive, the Jammu and Kashmir Forest Department, accompanied by the local police, demolished 25 to 30 houses in the Sidhra area on the peripheries of Jammu city. Amazon Brand - Myx Women's Pure Cotton Embroidered Kurta Set with Dupatta (Available in Plus Sizes)
The affected structures belonged to the Gujjar and Bakarwal communities, nomadic Scheduled Tribes (ST), who traditionally rear cattle and move between the mountainous grasslands of Kashmir in the summer and the plains of Jammu in the winter. Among those deeply affected by the drive was an elderly couple, aged 75 and 80, whose home was completely demolished to the ground.
This couple were actively supporting and helping the Indian Army during peak militancy periods in Kashmir. Because of the threat perceptions and being targeted by militants for their pro-India and pro-Army stand, they were forced to flee their ancestral homes in the Kashmir Valley years ago. They had settled in the Sidhra area of Jammu to build a peaceful life, only to watch their shelter demolished by local authorities.
The administration defended the demolition drive as the Forest Department categorized the settlement as an illegal encroachment on protected state forest land. The drive was part of a larger ongoing campaign across Jammu and Kashmir to retrieve state and forest lands from illegal occupations. Medical Trust Shattered: Lucknow Police Drill Doctor Accused of Assaulting Student
The police presence was arranged to maintain law and order and prevent any violent resistance from the residents during the eviction.
Local political parties, the National Conference, PDP, and tribal groups, criticized the move, calling it selective targeting of vulnerable tribal minorities who have historically guarded India's borders and assisted security forces against infiltration from Pakistan. Trump’s Devil and the Deep-blue-sea choice. Shabaz or Munir????
The sudden homelessness of elderly citizens, women, and children during extreme weather conditions has drawn intensive criticism from human rights activists calling for immediate relief and temporary housing.