Lokayukta rules against Van Gujjars146; eviction

Any eviction of the Van Gujjars8212;who live on land earmarked for the proposed Rajaji National Park8212;has been quashed by a judgement passed by the Uttaranchal Lokayukta, Justice S H A Raza, who has ruled against any state government move to evict the nomadic tribe from its dwellings.

Van Gujjar Ferozeddin had complained against the move by the state government to forcibly evict the nomadic community despite earlier orders by the National Human Rights Commission NHRC.

Justice Raza, in his judgement, said that the Supreme Court and the NHRC judgements clearly state that Van Gujjars should not be evicted. He asked the state government to comply with the Apex Court and the NHRC judgements. The complainant had alleged that the forest staff had been denying fodder to the animals of the nomads.