July 28, 2025: A group of nomadic men from the Gujjar and Bakarwal community were allegedly beaten by an Army officer last week in the Daghwan mountains, located on the outskirts of Srinagar.
A formal statement regarding the incident has not yet been released by the Army. Choudhary Javed Iqbal, a National Conference MLA from Budhal (Rajouri district) who claimed that a group of men had been assaulted by Army personnel on Saturday, was the first to bring attention to the issue on social media. Every year, these nomadic tribes migrate to the region and settle in Dhoks. They were called by the Army and 3-4 people were beaten. When I learned of the incident, I contacted the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir,” Iqbal told The Tribune on Monday.
Iqbal also posted on X, urging Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha “to rein in such excesses”. “Stop this provocation. Protect the lives of the tribe, he wrote. Ishtiyaq Ahmad, a relative of the victims who is currently grazing livestock in the Daghwan area, claims that Showkat Ahmad, Liyaqat Ali, Ghulam Qadir, and Mohammed Azam are the men who are alleged to have been beaten. They were beaten for no reason at all. He added, "This is a new Army camp in the area," and that the Army had also instructed them to leave the area. The victims were reportedly summoned to the Harwan Police Station on Sunday evening. There, they met the local SP, who, Ahmad claims, assured them that they could remain in the area for an additional three months. Located in the higher reaches, Daghwan is traditionally inhabited during summer months by a large population of Gujjar and Bakarwal families as part of their seasonal migration with livestock.
The incident was described as "unfortunate" and "avoidable" by National Conference MLA Mian Mehar Ali, who hails from Kangan in Central Kashmir. They were indeed beaten by the Army. He stated to The Tribune, "I have also raised the matter with concerned officials, and I was assured that the matter will be investigated." When contacted, Defence PRO Lt Col Manoj Sahu, based in Srinagar, stated that he had no knowledge of the incident but promised to "find out the details." Sundeep Chakravarthy, SSP Srinagar, could not be reached for comment.