Altaf Hussain
Shopian, Jammu & Kashmir — May 20, 2025:-In a deeply distressing incident in the Dobjan area of Shopian , South Kashmir, dozens of sheep belonging to a nomadic Bakarwal family died under mysterious circumstances, reportedly after being administered medicine supplied the Department of Sheep Husbandry.
The affected herder, Mouzam-ud-Din Khatana, a resident of Rajouri and member of the Bakarwal community, said that his livestock were healthy apart from minor fatigue due to seasonal migration. As part of an annual routine, he sought deworming medicine from a nearSheep Husbandry camp.
“As soon as I gave them the medicine, the sheep started dying one after another. In just a few hours, dozens were dead, and some are still missing,” claimed Mouzam-ud-Din.
Distraught and on the verge of collapse, he sobbed to The Upholder, saying: “Give me poison, kill me too… my children have no support left now.” When The Upholder team reached the site, the entire area was in mourning, with fellow Bakarwal community members grieving beside him.
The Bakarwal community has accused the Department of Sheep Husbandry of negligence, alleging that officials failed to respond in time, which led to the tragic loss. They are demanding immediate compensation and a full, impartial investigation.
When contacted, a departmental officer in Shopian confirmed that an investigative team has been constituted, and a post-mortem of the dead sheep will be conducted to determine the cause of death. However, the nomadic community disputes this claim, citing delayed action and apathy as the root cause of the incident.This tragedy strikes at the heart of the Gujjar-Bakarwal community, which undertakes a seasonal migration from Jammu to Kashmir and relies entirely on livestock for survival. For them, such a loss is not just economic—it is a blow to their very existence.
