Attack on nomadic by miscreants not acceptable, J&K minister

Srinagar, Apr 23: Terming attack of misreants on nomadic Gujjars in Reasi in Jammu region recently a “Gunda Gardi”, Minister for Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali has expressed serious concern and said such cow vigalantism will not be acceptable in Jammu and Kashmir.
Reacting on the incident of Reasi where five members of a nomadic family were injured after cow vigilantes attacked them with iron rods in Talwara area on Thursday evening when the family was moving with their flock of animals, the Minister said that Gujjar and Bakerwals are real Gaw Rakshak and they are being harased for moving folks from one place to another.
He said that as per reports, cow vigilantes took away the entire flock of cattle including cow, sheep and goat of the nomad family besides physically torturing men, women and children which will not be tolrated at any cost.
Choudhary Zulifar said that Gujjar and Bakerwal community are dependent on livestocks and they are moving from one place to another for the last many centuries and nobody stopped them to carry on the tradition of migration with their livestocks.
He said that this community take care off cow more than so called Gaw Rakhshak.
He termed the atack as illegal and pressed upon administation to take the issue seriously. The Minister also talked to police administration and expressed serious concern over it.
The Minister said that some people are hell bent to create communal tension in the state and such acts must be discouraged by one and all. “Such miscreants must be booked under law for harassing people” , he said adding that the state is already facing trouble and such things are adding fuel to fire. “We will not allow such elements to tarnish the image of the state and destabilize it”, he added.
He said that every religion teaches tolerance and we must adopt religious tolerance and allow everybody to preach according to his or her own wish. “We cannot force anybody to follow a particular faith”, he said adding that the people in the name of cow protection by using force are damaging secular fabric of this state which will not be allowed at any cost.