After the eviction of ‘illegal and unauthorized occupants’ at Pahalgam, the former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said that eviction of nomads need to be stopped as they are the protectors of the forests.
“The eviction of nomads is the part of last year’s decision and the move needs to be stopped forthwith. Government is pushing the nomads to the wall especially during the winter period,” Mehbooba said as per news agency KNO.
“These nomads who are being evicted from the area have been protecting the forests from decades now. Government must understand this,” she said.
Mehbooba visited the higher reaches of Pahalgam in south Kashmir on Monday where she met the families of the nomads who have been evicted and whose residential places (Dhokas) were demolished by the government.
She said that the centre was deliberately pushing them to opt for the violence. “They are loyal and peaceful loving people and have always wanted peace here. They have never opted for the violence but the centre wants them to take an extreme step,” she said.
Mehbooba warned authorities against such anti-people move, saying that consequences of such a move will be dangerous.
She alleged that already 24,000 kanals of land has been provided to the industries, asking the government to come clear whom it is going to provide this land.