Today’s young generation is not familiar with the real picture, history, geography, social, cultural and economic conditions of Jammu city, fifty or sixty thirty years ago.……contd…2. Yes the new generation and those who are not native but foe certain reasons have migrated to Jammu after nineteen seventy. As described in the previous editorial, earthen chulhas were used in the majority of the households of Jammu city to cook the food. Even at hotels and dhaba’s fire wood was used for cooking the food. Another earthen chulha called ‘Bhatti’ was also used for this purpose but in these ‘Bhatti’s’ coal and charcoal was used as fuel. The fire wood and coal was available at various stores including ‘Tall’s’ a local name for the whole sale private depot of firewood. But many people used to buy firewood from the ‘Gujjars’ who had been selling firewood at various places of the city like. ‘Panjtirthi, Chowk-Chabutra, near the Old Post Office, Kanak Mndi’ since long. As already told that the majority of people have at least one cow in their houses, the Gujjars were the source to get the green grass or other fodder for cows. A place near Kanak Mnadi was so popular for the sale-purchase of grass, that it is till date called as “Ghah Mandi Chowk.” So these Gujjars living in the outskirts areas of Jammu city particularly in the nearby forests were not only supplying the milk to the people of Jammu but also fire wood for the kitchen and fodder for the cows. Their settlements were located on the hills situated on the left bank of Tawi river from Mjalta to Belicharana. Similarly, the upper areas of the hills on the right side of the present Ambphalaa to Akhnoor via Bantalab, Raipur, Kot-Bhalwal were also dotted with the various settlements of Gujjars. Likewise on the upper areas of hills located on the left side of the present Narwal- Kunjwani road, and on the upper hills of Smailpur. Badhorhi, Baguna, Gurha, Samba and other areas were the living places of the Gujjar community. Hills of Purmandal and adjoining areas were also the homes of “Gijjars called Dodhi Gujjars”. They had been living there with the consent and permission of the then Dogra rulers and had been fulfilling the demand of city people for milk, fire wood and fodder. But now few so called champions of the Jammu and Dogri are targeting this community to spread hatred and create communal atmosphere for their political gains. But they must understand now that their mischievous acts shall be thwarted by the genuine people at every front. Because the people of Jammu are now aware that for these nefarious gimmicks and to target the other communities they always put the gun on the shoulder of Jammu people but now the people are going to turn the direction of the gun.
