By Muzzafar Choudhary
On a quiet evening in Srinagar’s Nishat area, a horror unfolded that should have shaken every conscience in the valley and beyond. A 45 years Gujjar Bakarwal woman became the victim of a brutal gang rape and was later left to die. This was not just a crime against a woman or a community it was an assault on our shared humanity. Yet, the silence that followed was more painful than the tragedy itself. There were no candlelight marches. No press conferences by political leaders. No angry sermons from prominent Islamic scholars. No emotional social media outpourings from celebrities. The valley remained quiet—as if the value of a victim’s life depends on her caste, tribe, or social status.
A Community Repeatedly Forgotten
The Gujjar and Bakarwal communities are one of the largest Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Jammu & Kashmir. They are mostly pastoral nomads, depending on forest grazing, livestock, and seasonal migration. Despite their centuries-old existence on this land, they continue to be treated like outsiders—ignored by the mainstream, neglected by policymakers, and stereotyped in society. They are called “junglee” (wild), “janwaar” (illiterate), and “Parasites”. These are not just words they are weapons that slowly destroy dignity and belonging. In cities and villages alike, their settlements are seen as illegal, their demands seen as unreasonable, and their voices often silenced. Their poverty is blamed on their ‘lifestyle’ rather than the result of decades of state neglect. But the discrimination goes beyond words.
The Structural Discrimination
1. Forest Rights Denied: After the abrogation of Article 370, the Forest Rights Act was implemented in J&K. It was a ray of hope. Yet, even today, thousands of Gujjar-Bakarwal families face eviction threats. Their forest lands are snatched in the name of tourism and development.
2. Reservation Under Attack: Political parties that now stay quiet during tragedies were once loudly opposing ST reservations for Gujjars. There were street protests, slogans, and media debates—asking why “these people” should get reservations. But when a Gujjar woman is raped and murdered, those same voices vanish.
3. Lack of Education & Healthcare: In tribal belts, there are no proper schools, teachers, or health facilities. People have to travel miles to get basic treatment.
4. Employment Discrimination: Despite reservations, Gujjar-Bakarwals rarely get fair opportunities in administration, police, or higher education. Merit becomes an excuse to block their entry, but discrimination is never addressed.
Society’s Selective Empathy
Recently, an inhumane incident occurred in Pahalgam where tourists lost her life. It was tragic, and society stood united. Political leaders, students, journalists, and activists all raised their voices. That solidarity was beautiful, but where is that energy now? Is the life of a Gujjar woman not equal? Were the protests only to make headlines, gain votes, or play to the gallery? These are uncomfortable questions, but they must be asked.
Gender, Tribe, and Invisibility
When women from marginalized communities suffer violence, their pain is often ignored. There is no media outrage, no feminist outcry, and no collective mourning. Their trauma becomes ‘just another case’. This is the reality of intersectionality, when gender discrimination combines with caste and tribal identity, the injustice deepens. The Gujjar-Bakarwal women are doubly marginalized: first as tribals, then as women. They live in fear of being attacked, ignored, and silenced. And still, they carry the weight of their families, raise their children, and fight for dignity.
The Hypocrisy of Leadership
Where are the leaders who once raised slogans on the streets? Where are the politicians who debated minority rights? Where are the ulemas who preach about justice and humanity every Friday? If their silence is because the victim was poor, tribal, or rural then let it be known, they have failed not just the Gujjar-Bakarwal community, but humanity itself.
We demand:
1. Immediate Arrest: All accused must be identified, arrested, and punished under the harshest laws.
2. Fast-Track Court: The trial must happen in a special fast-track court.
3. Death Penalty: For such brutal crimes, capital punishment is the only true justice.
4. Legal Support: The family must get free legal aid and state protection.
5. Caste Discrimination Inquiry: Authorities must investigate casteist hate speech and discrimination.
6. Tribal Commission Inquiry: The J&K Tribal Affairs Department must probe systemic failures in protecting tribal women.
A Pattern of Injustice:
8 years ago same kind of incident happened where a young Gujjar girl from Kathua. She was kidnapped, drugged, raped, and murdered in a temple by men who wanted to ‘drive her people out’. Instead of justice, her memory became a battleground of politics. A section of lawyers even protested in support of the accused. Some leaders took out rallies holding the tricolour flag not for Asifa, but to defend her rapists. That same pattern is repeating now. A Gujjar woman is raped and killed in Nishat, and society remains silent. If her name were different, if she belonged to a different caste, would the reaction have been the same? The silence is not new. It is historical.
Youth, Scholars, and Citizens: Break the Silence
This is not just a tribal issue. This is a human issue. Students, writers, artists, religious leaders, and youth must rise. They must question this silence, organize peaceful protests, write articles, create art, and demand justice. Today it is a Gujjar woman. Tomorrow, it could be someone else. Injustice doesn’t stop at one door it spreads like fire.
The pain of the Gujjar-Bakarwal community is real. It is old. It is deep. And now, it is bleeding. We are tired of being treated like outsiders in our own land. We are tired of our pain being ignored. We are tired of being told to be patient. Justice delayed is justice denied. And silence in the face of injustice is not peace, it is complicity.
Muzafar Choudhary is Vice President of Gujjar Bakerwal Students Alliance (GBSA) and Tribal Rights Activist
He can be react out at : [email protected]
Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect TRK News’ views.
