Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Ganderbal: The Gram Sabha of Waniyarn-Wangath in Kangan has cleared 270 Individual Forest Rights (IFR) claims, a significant step for forest-dependent families in the Central Kashmir district, even as the Forest Rights Coalition, Jammu and Kashmir (FRC-J&K) used the occasion to press the administration for timely decisions and accountability across the Union Territory.
Of the 272 claims placed before the Gram Sabha on October 24, 270 were approved for further processing, while two could not be cleared because of deficiencies in their documentation. The approved claims will now move to the Sub-Divisional Level Committee (SDLC) for examination under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, the law that recognises the rights of forest-dwelling communities over land and forest resources they have long depended on.
Villagers from across the Gram Panchayat attended in large numbers, including women, children, former Panchayat members and members of the Village Forest Rights Committee. Representatives of the Tribal Welfare, Rural Development, Revenue, Forest, Wildlife Protection and Agriculture departments were also present.
The coalition said the clearance followed months of groundwork. An awareness Jirga was held earlier at Waniyarn Eidgah to explain the Act and the claims procedure, after which its team helped claimants prepare individual files before the Gram Sabha was convened. Shareef Khan (Paktoon), Chairperson of the Waniyarn Forest Rights Committee, opened the proceedings, while Chowdhury Sajad Kasana explained the process. Bashir Ahmed Tedwa, In-charge of FRC-J&K for Central Kashmir, presented the claim files. The coalition also acknowledged the efforts of Iliyas Jagal.
Dr Shaikh Ghulam Rasool, Founder of FRC-J&K, congratulated the residents and said the Act must be implemented in its true spirit, without discrimination or unnecessary administrative barriers. “Forest rights are not a favour from the administration; they are legal rights that must be recognised,” he said. He explained that 32 organisations had come together to form the coalition to help forest-dependent and indigenous communities secure their rights while strengthening community-led conservation. “There can be no sustainable conservation without justice for the communities who have protected these forests for generations,” he said, adding that the coalition stood for genuine claims and transparent procedures, “not for encroachment or the misuse of the Act”.
Convenor Zahid Parwaz Choudhary raised concern over alleged harassment of forest dwellers and pastoral communities, and what the coalition described as instances of Forest Department conduct that undermine the safeguards of the Act. He urged the administration to investigate the allegations and fix accountability where wrongdoing is established. “Forest protection must never become a pretext for victimising forest-dependent people,” he said. The allegations are those of the coalition, and no response from the department was available.
District Tribal Welfare Officer, Ganderbal, Tahir Mohiuddin, appreciated the coalition’s work and assured the gathering of every possible assistance from his department at the district level.
Dr Shaikh also criticised the slow pace of decisions before the Sub-Divisional and District Level Committees, claiming thousands of IFR claims and more than 32 Community Forest Rights claims remain pending. The coalition called for regular committee meetings, time-bound decisions and stronger accountability. The Gram Sabha concluded with a vote of thanks by Molvi Sahib, who coordinated the proceedings.
