"Are Shepherds Sub Human?" : Mehbooba Mufti On Suspension Of Forest Guard (Photo on X Mehbooba Mufti @MehboobaMufti)
Langate’s Divisional Forest officer in Jammu and Kashmir suspended a forest guard, Bashir Ahmed, for wearing a pheran stating that the guard looked like a shepherd. The order issued by the Divisional Forest Officer further stated that the territorial forest officials are part of disciplined forces and are always duty-bound to wear proper dress codes while performing their duties at sensitive postings.
However, the order has sparked outrage in the region, with the letter going viral on social media for its remark of guard”s attire resembling ‘shepherds’. Many raised the issue of the ill motivations of such remarks on Kashmir culture and identity.
Sharing the suspension order, the PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti took to her social media platform X (Twitter), noting that the order contains prejudice towards the their tradition, and is insensitive and arrogant. “The subsequent order smacks of prejudice towards our traditions by deriding him for ‘looking like a shepherd’. Are shepherds sub-human? Insensitive & arrogant. Hope local admin takes action immediately,” the former chief minister of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state wrote.
Langate’s Divisional Forest officer has suspended Bashir Ahmed -a forest guard for wearing a pheran. The subsequent order smacks of prejudice towards our traditions by deriding him for ‘looking like a shepherd’. Are shepherds sub human? Insensitive & arrogant. Hope local admin… pic.twitter.com/z7xLayu2vL
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 20, 2024
Advocate Mir Imran, a rights activist opined that the suspension letter by the Divisional Forest Officer smells of casteism. “It emits the stench of discrimination based on social status. Does wearing a Pheran equate to backwardness or shepherd status? The shepherd profession is venerable; even prophets have tended flocks. This statement is not just unconstitutional but casteist too,” the activist wrote in his Facebook post, urging authorities to review the incident and take appropriate actions and asking them to uphold constitutional values and respect for diverse cultures.
The forest officer had in the letter stated that during his “surprise visit,” he found the guard wearing a “pheran” and “looking like a shepherd”.
