PART-1 Forest Land encroachers’ mafia creates fear psychosis in Chiralla

‘Don’t stand against wrong doers; don’t help Govt Deptt to act against law breakers; otherwise you will be victimized’ terrorized and……………..”

Forest Land encroachers in Chiralla area of tehsil Thathri, in Bhaderwah constituency have created fear psychosis among the residents of a particular community in Geosti as a Gang of Forest Land encroachers, Gunda elements; criminals VDC members, etc of the area have support of a particular Govt Department which has helped in to boost the Gang members to do wrong things in the area openly.

The Gang of land encroachers, criminals and VDC members has started threatening and mobilizing a public movement forcefully against one Master Fazal and if any one is trying to stay away, is being victimized and terrorized and false allegations are being leveled against them for not favoring the Gang members.

The only fault of Master (Retd) Fazal Alam was that he stood against the Forest Land encroaches who all are VDC members and helped the Forest Department to initiate some action against the land encroachers. Sources said that the officials have decided to do the demarcation of the Forest Land, which will ultimately help in vacating thousands of kanals of Forest land in Compartment No-1.

Sources said that when the Gang members came to know about this, they VDC members who are in-fact Forest land encroaches started conspiring against the (Master Retd.) Fazal Alam and are leveling false allegations against him and a misguidance campaign has been launched by these VDC members to ‘isolate’ Fazal Alam and his family members.

Worthwhile to mention here that Master Fazal Alam was a contesting candidate against former Chief Minister (CM) Ghulam Nabi Azad from Bhaderwah constituency who had later withdrawn in favour of Azad after Azad visited him in Chiralla.

Sources said that some political activists are helping these criminals, VDC members and other Gang members to create law and order problem in the area.

Worthwhile to mention here that the people who have encroached upon thousands of kanals of Forest Land, of which just a small part was freed by the forest officials due to the intervention of Master Fazal.

Relevant to mention here that Master Fazal Alam has been fighting for last several years for forest protection in the Chiralla area and in the past has succeeded in getting the land vacated. Soon after, some of encroached Forest Land were vacated by a team of forest officials, the encroaches assembled and started hatching conspiracy against Master Fazal and other residents of Wani Pura village and the officer is allegedly helping these encroaches. Relevant to mention here that the people of village Geosti, Zila Da Pani and Malik Pura in which each family has VDC members have started terrorizing the inhabitants of Wani Pura village, which has been attacked by the militants four times till date. Here rises a question, big question, that despites being surrounded from three sides (East, West and North) Wani Pura village was attacked by the militants four times, How these militants managed to do it and why not a single bullet was fired towards these three villages which where guarded by the VDC members . Worthwhile to mention here that one inhabitant of Wani Pura, Mushtaq Hussain S/o Abdul Aziz was fired at by some unidentified VDC members of Geosti village on 19 November 2003 while he was returning home after attending a marriage party, but luckily he was not hit by the bullet. The first major attack was carried out by the militants on Wani Pura on 18th April 2006 in which house of Master (Retired) Fazal Alam was targeted. But it was Good luck of the family that for election duty (by elections), forces deployment was in the nearby village which on hearing the firing, actively rushed to Wani Pura and managed saved the villagers. However, some damages were caused to the House of Fazal Alam. Followed by this major attacked who had created fear psychosis among the resident of Wani Pura three more attacks were carried out on 30 April 2006, May-2007 and Aug 2008. But all these attacks were retaliated by the Special Task Force Mobile Post (STF-Mobile Post) Geosti and the Army Post Geosti. But under a hatched conspiracy against the villagers of Wani Pura, Firstly STF post was withdrawn for the reasons unknown. Later, people of these three villages Geosti, Malik Pura and Zila-Da-Pani under a well designed conspiracy motivated the district administration and the Army was also withdrawn from the village. When asked, Deputy Commissioner Doda, Sharief-ud-Din said that the decision was of Government as well as of Army authorities itself to relocate. Now the area is under fear psychosis and ‘vulnerable to militants’ attacks’.

IS THERE ANY ONE TO ACT?

Let the State Govt and the administration know about the track record of these VDC members who have created terror in the area. Sources said that the members of the Gang have threatned a JE of PHE Department Ashiq Hussain in 2009 and did not allow him to extend water supply line to other waterless area, upon which AEE of the Department wrote a letter under number PHED/E/138-139-25/7/2009 addressed to SHO Thathri to register a complaint/FIR against Dalip Singh son of Shiv Lal resident of Geosti, Raj Kumar (VDC member son of Gouri Lal resident of Geosti, Mohinder Singh (VDC member) son of Gouri Lal, resident of Geosti, Pream Raj son of Amarnath resident of Geosti and Bodh Raj son of Shiv Lal, resident of Geosti but the action of SHO is still awaited. It is worth mentioning here that from the possession of these person 10 pipes of 32 mm dais were recovered, which these person had uprooted from a running the PHE line.

AN EYE OPENER

As majority of the villagers of all these three villages, Geosti, Malik Pura and Zila-Da-Pani have been allotted with Guns and VDCs have been established than how militants cold manage to enter the area without engaging even a shingle fire encounter and made killings in the area. Have the authorities ever probed it. Let us have a look on the killings in the area. In the year 1996, one Abdul Rashid son of Mohmadi Butt resident of Geosti was killed in a night. Till date knows one knows who killed him. As usual it was believed that militants killed him. In the year 1996, one militant was killed in an encounter with the army. In the same encounter one Supervisor of State Forest Corporation (SFC), Shafqat Hussain was killed while one had managed to flee. But how the militant managed to enter the area surrounded by VDCs? The VDC members of village Geosti had threatned the family of Fazal Alam and when the matter was brought into the notice of then Additional SP Bhaderwah Sheetal Singh conducted an inquiry and after the outcome of inquiry all the VDC members were withdrawn of guns. It was among the same VDC members who killed one civilian Azem Mir R/o Amratgarh, in the year 1995. The matter was probed and VDC members identified as Gernal Singh son of Krishan Lal, Numbardar–cum-VDC member Khanjur Singh, Parmatma Singh, Shreef Shekih, Nazal Alam son of Shamis Din and Surjeet Singh son of Amarnath were arrested in the murder case. But the murder accused and jailed person Khunjur Singh at present is a VDC member as well Numbardar. He draws both salaries. But there is no one to check it and the criminals and being empowered. The same VDC members beat up a PHE line man Chammel Singh PHE line man was beaten up by the VDC members of Geosti FIR was registered but no action was taken. Another PHE lineman Daljeet Singh was also beaten up by these VDC members. Another murder was executed by the VDC members of the area in which one Diya Krishan resident of Bolian was killed and after inquiry, one Shafi was arrested and jailed but for the murder he has been rewarded and at present he is Chowkidar. And not only has powers but also gets honorarium from Govt exchequer.

When asked, DDC Doda, Sharief–ud-Din, said, “How a murder accused can be Numbardar or Chowkidar.” However, he added that people of that area need to give a representation upon which new elections will be held.

But here again raises a big question, keeping in view the threat of Gang of which both are active members, will any one have courage to stand against these two people? The chances are rare and as obvious the administration if not willing to initiate action has a point here not to act. This indicates that the Gunda Raj is getting heavier hand day by day and those supposed to implement the rules and laws are becoming helpless or pressurized.

The point here is that Civil society in every country, has faith in Govt and the administration that it will protect them from criminals, Gunda elements, anti social elements and it is believed that Govt in every state works for to ensure law and order situation and help those people who dedicate their entire life for the welfare of society and fights for the right, implementation of government rules and laws but if the administration comes under the influence of such elements which created trouble for the administration every where than will any one in future stand against the trouble makers?