By News Agency of Kashmir
Jammu: Just ahead of bye-elections on Poonch-Haveli assembly constituency, Gujjars of Jammu and Kashmir have once again warned the government against any move to dilute the Tribal status by granting Schedule Tribe Status to Pahari speaking people of the state.
All the political parties, especially Congress, are already in dilemma over issue of granting ST Status to Pahari speaking people of the state. Poonch-Haveli assembly segment comprise of both Gujjars and Pahari speaking people.
While the National Conference has strong sport of Gujjar community, ruling Congress was trying to win over Pahari community by assuring them ST Status. However, keeping in view the population figures of Gujjars in the bye-election, the ruling party has maintained silence over the issue.
The state president, Gujjar Bakerwal Joint Forum, Haji Shamsher Ali Boken, in a meeting held here today, expressed his anguish over the vested interest people who are trying to weaken the Tribal character of various communities and ride upon the established procedures and set practices to grant tribal status.
The forum faxed a memorandum to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister, Mr Shivraj Patil submitting that some people are trying to get the tribal status on the name of Pahari language so that they may secure certain benefits which have been given to the tribal people only.
The 7-point memorandum has listed some of the issues and demands of the Gujjar and Bakerwal tribes which have been granted Scheduled Tribe status.
Regarding Pahari speaking people’s claim to ST status, the forum argued that the term; ” Pahari or for that matter, Pahari speaking people” has never been defined either by the J&K Government or the Union Government. Such class of people has neither been defined in any works of history, anthropology or census nor even mentioned in revenue records.
Paharis were neither defined as a weaker section and nor they approached before the Gajendragadkar Commission, the Sikri Commission, the Wazir Commission (1969), the Anand Commission (1976) and the Mandal Commission which covered the entire country. All these commissions, from time to time, identified the Other Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Areas and none of them recognized any group as Pahari or Pahari speaking people as weaker section of the society. Pahari being the affluent ruling class do not suffer from the social stigma which is the most important condition to declare a particular class of people as Scheduled Tribe, the memorandum said.
The leaders took strong exception to the State Government’s proposal to give Schedule Tribe status to Paharis. He mentioned that Paharis are already enjoying reservation under three different categories i.e. RBA, ALC and OBC in different areas