SRINAGAR: Alleging boycott in three districts of Jammu, Gujjars have decided not to “cave-in” to the “malicious hate propaganda” against them and instead supply milk free at quarantine centres in Samba, Jammu and Kathua districts.
Jameel Choudhary, president, Dodhi Gujjar Community in Jammu, told this newspaper that some sections of society in the three districts have been boycotting milk and milk products being supplied by the community in the region, suspecting them to be coronavirus carriers. The Gujjars, he said, meet over 50 per cent milk demand of the three districts.
Choudhary said malicious propaganda and hate is being spread that Gujjars are carriers of Covid-19. “This is despite that no community members has tested positive for coronavirus, so far,” he said.
In neighbouring Punjab, the Gujjars have already approached the state government stating that they were facing boycott at dairies in the wake of the Tablihi Jamaat episode.
According to Choudhary, the boycott and malicious propaganda is aimed to economically weaken the community. “We don’t live in palatial houses. We live in mud houses and will overcome this boycott and malicious propaganda.”
Authorities, unfortunately, have not issued any advisory or taken any measure to prevent “hate mongers” from unleashing malicious propaganda, he lamented, adding that the Gujjars have decided against negatively responding to boycott.
“We have launched a humane initiative to spread the message of peace. While we do not have enough food to eat or give to our children, we have decided to supply milk free of cost to all the quarantine centres set up for Covid-19 suspects by the administration in the Samba, Jammu and Kathua districts despite threats and attempts to isolate our community,” he said.