early times report
Rajouri, Nov 5: Annoyed over delay in granting Schedule Tribe Status (ST) to the Pahari Speaking Community, the Pahari leaders resolved to launch joint struggle to get ST for the community at the earliest or demanded withdraw of reservations from those communities ,barring Bakerwals who fall in nomadic culture, who share same habitations, culture, festival etc with Pahari people.
J&K Pahari People Movement (JKPPM) , a prominent Pahri Community organization has been struggling for ST Status for the community for the last many years.
"Paharis mostly dominate the border areas in Jammu and Kashmir provinces and have become victims of three wars with Pakistan, militancy, major earth quake in 2005 etc and sharing same culture, habitations with Gujjar and Bakerwal communities who are enjoying reservations under ST status" said, chief executive JKPPM Shahbaz Khan in meeting held at Nowshera.
The meeting was chaired by D L Raina a prominent leader from Nowshera tehsil and was attended by Ch Abdul Rehman Mirza, Shahbaz Khan & Vijay Kumar.
In this meeting speakers appealed to the people of the Community to get united to launch a united struggle under an Umbrella Organization of Jammu Kashmir Pahari Cultural and Welfare Forum (JKPCWF) and also asked Pahari politicians to leave there political affiliation for the cause of the community.
Abdul Qadir Khan, State President Pahari Student Union (PSU), said, "Pahris have been striving for ST Status for the last more than 30 years and any further delay in this sensitive State is not in the interest of State because frustrated youths of the community can be misled or misused by anti social elements."
"Despite the fact that the coalition government had mentioned ST status for the community in their Common Minimum Programme (CMP) for Parliament as well as for State elections, but the community did get nothing till date" said Ashwani Dutta Secretary, JKPPM. |
