3 members of nomadic tribe had died in ‘Army custody’ in December

The visit of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Rajouri on December 27 where he met the families of three victims who died after they were picked up for questioning by the Army and scheduled visit of Union Minister Amit Shah to Poonch on Tuesday, which got cancelled, have a larger message. Shah was scheduled to visit Dera ki Gali in Poonch and meet the families of the victims.

At least 10 members of Gujjar community from Dera ki Gali were picked up in connection with an ambush by terrorists on December 21 in which four soldiers lost their lives.

Custodial deaths of three civilians from the community after their interrogation caused protests and widespread condemnation of the Army and the government.

The three men belonged to the Gujjar community that has a political sway especially in Rajouri and Poonch district of Jammu division.

A senior BJP leader in Jammu said the visits of top ministers is a clear signal that the party doesn’t want to send any wrong signal to the community of J&K which holds a major political sway in many regions of the UT. “Besides the nomadic community is also a major source of human intelligence for security agencies as they live in deep forest areas,” said the leader.

Rajnath Singh during his visit had also assured the families of the victims and those injured during interrogation that justice will be done.

The BJP has left no stone unturned to woo the Gujjar community ahead of Lok Sabha elections. The Central Government did not pass the crucial The Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which would have given ST status to the Pahari community despite introducing the Bill last year.

Gujjars had protested the move tooth and nail in J&K stating that the BJP will face repercussions if the Bill was passed. Gujjars and Bakerwals already enjoy ST status. They claimed their quota will be impacted if Paharis were included in the list.

The Gujjar community also holds the key for BJP’s entry into Kashmir Valley in Lok Sabha polls as the Delimitation Commission has carved out Anantnag constituency in Kashmir by adding Rajouri and Poonch of Jammu region to it.

While the J&K police registered an FIR into the deaths of three civilians, Army shifted three officers including a Brigadier and ordered a Court of Inquiry into the incident.

Courtesy: The Tribune India:  9th  Jan , 2024