GUJJARS : A Warrior Tribe Who
Inflicted Collosol Loss To The USSR
GUJJARS : The 2nd Largest Ethinic & Linguistic Entity Of Afghanistan
The U.S.A. and her allied countries had propounded the idea of a broad-based
Government in Afghanistan, comprising of all the ethnic and linguastic groups.
The western countries had false perception about the exact ethnic and linguastic
division of Afghanistan. It was mistakenly believed that the Afghnistan is
ethnically devided into Pushtoons and Persian speaking Northern alliance. The
U.S.A. and its allies, while forming the present Karzai Government in
Afghanistan, absolutely ignored the second largest and major ethnic Gujjar
community. The Gujjars constitutes to be 35% of Afghanistan’s total population.
2. The Gujjar is the largest tribe of the World, which is admittedly recognized
to be the major ethnic group in Pakistan, India, Indo-Pak held Jammu & Kashmir,
Xing Xiang(China), Tibet, Nepal, Bhuttan, Sakkum, Bangladesh, Afghanistan,
Georgia and other Central Asian States. The Gujjars can rightly be termed as an
International tribe, who are not restricted and confined by the frontiers or
borders.
3. There is much known about the Gujjars dwelling in almost all parts of India
and Pakistan. There population in India and Pakistan is 20 & 03-billion
respectively. The Sub-Continent and Central Asia was ruled for centuries by the
Gujjars, also known as Gurjars. It was during their rule that thousands of
places were named after them or their sub-tribes in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan
and Central Asian States, e.g. Gujarat, Gujaranwala, Gujarwal, Gujar Dhar, Gujar
Garrh, Gujar Khan, Kalla Gujjaran, Gujar Garrhi, Gurjistan, Gujarni, Gujaristan,
Georjia, Gujar Abad and Gujar Khashi, There are numerous places named after the
sub-clans of Gujjars, e.g.Chechania, Chechian, Jhanda Chechi, Kharian, New-Katarian,
etc.
4. The Gujjars of Afghanistan have always played a very important and
significant role in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan is broadly divided into four
major ethnic groups, i.e. (1)-Pushtoons 40%, (2)-Gujjars speaking Gujari and
other languages 35%, (3)-Persian speaking 10% and (4)-others 15%. The over
whelming and majority population of 14 Provinces of Afghanistan consists of
Gujjar tribe, who generally speak Gujjari langauage. In some areas they also
speak Pushto or Persian in addition to Gujjari langauage. This language is also
spoken by the Gujjars of India and Pakistan. The Gujjarati, Daccani, Rajasthani,
Mewati and mewarri, according to some scholars, are the regional names and
dialects of Gujjari language. A brief and approximate account of Gujjar
population in some of the Afghan-Provinces is given hereunder:-
i) Kunnarr : This province is situated in the south of Afghanistan and
in the North of Pakistan. The Gujjar tribe is living with over-whelming majority
in this Province. The famous towns and villages of the Gujjars are Narrai, Asmar,
Hari Kot, Tashagul, Konigul, Gorin, Inchagal, Samsagal, Karchigal, Bazagal,
Batash, Hegal and Asoom, etc.
ii) Lughman : Its more than 50% population consists of Gujjar tribe.
There are approximately 45-villages having hundred percent Gujjar population.
iii) Panjsher : The Gujjars constitutes 40% population of this Province.
Perkhar and Wersak towns are the famous strong-holds of the Gujjars.
iv) Badakhshan : The Gujjars constitutes half of the population of this
Province. The Bajjarr, Chauhan, Bherwal, Jangle, Bhaddana, Kohli, Doei and
Bokarra are the famous sub-tribes/clans of Gujjars living in this Province.
v) Kondos : The ¾ population of this Province consists of Gujjar tribe.
vi) Farkhar : More than 90% population of this Province belongs to the Gujjar
community. The Dashtiachi, Namakao, Khestazi and Khefdar, etc. are the famous
towns & villages of the Gujjar tribe.
vii) Mazar Sharif : In this Province over 30% population consists of Gujjar
community.
viii) Baglan : In this Province over 40% population belongs to the Gujjar caste.
ix) Aneshkamesh : The 70% population of this Province is consisted of Gujjar
tribe.
x) Palol : The Gujjar is a majority tribe of this Province. The Gujjar
commanders Mr. Ghulam Sakhi Khattana and Mr.Fardol Khatana, the militant leaders
of Harkat-e-Islamia Afghanistan also belonged to this Province. They inflicted
collosal loss to the enemy during the cold-war.
xi) Andraf : The Gujjars constitues ¾ population of this Province. The Gujjar
Generals Moman Bherwal and Mr. Arbab Therwal Malang, the militant Gujjar
Commanders of Hizb-e-Islami belonged to this province. These Generals earned lot
of name and recognition during the cold-war.
xii) Taloqan : The Gujjars forms half of the population of the Province.
Mr. Arbab Hakeem Chechi, the Supreme Gujjar Commander of Hizb-e-Islami also
belonged to this Province. He also earned world wide recognition during the cold
war.
xiii) Shabargan : The Gujjars are 1/3 of the total population of this Province.
5. The Gujjars are also living with a prominent sizeable minority in the
following Provinces of Afghanistan : -
i Nangarhar,
ii Kabul,
iii Logar,
iv Qandhar,
v Gazni,
vi Kapisa,
vii Gardez,
viii Tamroze, and
ix Harat.
6. The Gujjars played a leading role in war (Jehad) against the U.S.S.R. since
beginning in the year 1979. Mir Afzal Chechi of Kunnarr Province was one of the
leading founders to organise and start the war(Jehad) to liberate Afghanistan
from the clutches of U.S.S.R., who also sacrificed his life for the sacred
cause. Malik Sher Afzal and Malik Qabeel of Kunnarr Province also significantly
contributed towards organizing the war and Jehad against the U.S.S.R.
7. The following militant leaders of various Jahadi organizations, who fought
against the U.S.S.R., also belonged to the Gujjar tribe of Afghanistan:-
i) Dr.M.Abdul Qayyum, Founder, Hizb-e-Islami
ii) Maulana M.Younas Khalis Quaid, Hizb-e-Islami
iii) Muhammad Ayub, Amir, Tanzeem Ahl-e-Hadith
iv) Ghulam Chechi, Commander Hizb-e-Islami
v) Mauland Akhawandzada Commander Harkat-e-Islami
vi) Nadir Khan Commander Harkat-e-Islami
vii) Arbab Mian Gul Chechi Commander Jamaat-e-Islami
viii) Haji Zardali Commander Hizb-e-Islami
ix) Haji Daim Khan Commander Tanzeem Ahl-e-Hadith
x) Musafar Khan Commander Hizb-e-Islami
xi) Maulana Umra Khan Commander Hizb-e-Islami
xii) Haji Badam Khan Commander Mahaz-e-Milli
xiii) Mir Alam Commander Jamat-e-Islami
xiv) Malik Sadbar Commander Hizb-e-Islami
xv) Maulana Kaduaali Amir Islami Hizb
xvi) Mirza Lal Doei Commander Jamat-e-Islami
xvii) Madir Gujjarwal Commander Harkat-e-Islami
xviii) Malik Jabeen Chechi Commander Hizb-e-Islami
xix) Malik Shireen Commander Hizb-e-Islami
xx) Malik Maasal Commander Hizb-e-Islami
xxi) Hazrat Bilal Sher Commander Harkat-e-Islami
xxii) Malik Gul Sharif Commander Tanzeem Ahl-e-Hadith
8. The thousands of Gujjar Mujahideens sacrificed their lives while fighting
against USSR during the period of cold war. A large number of Gujjars had to
migrate to Pakistan and other neighbouring countries during and after the
cold-war. The majority of Gujjar migratees were living in Bhai Cheena Camps,
Anayat Kaley Camps in Bajorr Agency, Dodaba Camps and Ranrri Camps in Dir
district of Pakistan.
9. The culture, language, customs and traditions of the Gujjars are entirely
different than the pushtoon ethnic stock. The Gujjars of Afghanistan speaks
Gujjari language, the language that also spoken in most of the areas of Indo &
Pakistan and enjoys its representation on a number of state owned Radio and
Television channels in India and Pakistan.
10. It will be worth mentioning that the Pushto speaking population do not
belong to one community, triabal or racial group rather they are devided into
Shanwaris, Afridis, Safis, Khattaks, Mashwanis and Yousafzais, etc. etc.,
whereas, on the contrary the Gujjars of Afghanistan belongs to one racial and
tribal group unlike Pushtoons, who are just a linguistic group.
11. The over 30-Million Gujjars in Pakistan and 20-Billion Gujjars in India had
extended their implied and unconditional support to the notion of forming the
broad based Afghan-Government comprising of all the ethnic groups and
communities in Afghanistan so to win the war against terror.
12. It was expected that the Gujjars being the second largest ethnic and
linguistic community certainly was to be considered as a significant
constitutent in broad-based government as by ignoring the Gujjars neither any
government can function as a representative establishment nor that could be a
workable or perpetual solution to the growing problems of Afghanistan. The
U.S.A., U.K. and Pakistan Governments should have derived an acceptable formula
giving due representation to the Gujjars of Afghanistan.
13. The worrior & majority Gujjar tribe has not been given any representation
while forming the present Afghan Government, the result is obvious, the writ of
presetn Afghan-Government could hardly be established within the radious of only
two Kilo meter area and more specifically speaking within the Presidential
Compound under the guard and security of Allied forces. They are the brave
Gujjars only who can restrict and confine the war-lords into their cloths and
can bring the perpetual peace in Afghanistan. These Gujjars of Afghanistan also
enjoys the unshaken support of 23-billion Gujjars of Pakistan and India. The
Allied Forces, in order to bring the perpetual peace in Afghanistan, may even
now draw a strategy to form a true representative Aghan-Government.
Thank of Articles by Ch. M. Ashraf Gujjar
Reasarche by
Muhammad Ali Checha