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| Sonia's statement: Paharis feel let down | | |
ASHWANI
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, June 4: The recent pro Gujjar and Bakerwal community statement by UPA chairpersosn and AICC chief, Sonia Gandhi during a function at Gujjar Charitable Trust here on May 30 is snow balling into a big controversy with Pahari people taking a serious exception to it and considering it an insult to the community.
The Paharis who constitute 18 to 20 crore of state's population are not against the Gujjars and Bakerwal community but they demand their due share in the Constitution, said Gafoor Khan a member of Pahari Forum ``The statement has hurt the sentiments of the Pahrai community in the state and they are up in arms to launch a decisive battle for their rights'',he aded.
The Paharis will continue their struggle to take it to its logical conclusion and they will not rest till the Pahari people are also given the ST status, he said, adding, these have not only been Gujjars and Bakerwals who are manning the borders of the state but the Pahari people also who are spread on entire LOC right from Rajouri district to Karnah and Gurez in Kashmir Valley.
Gandhi has been misguided by some people in Congress and members of the Gujjar community as a leader of the ruling alliance she is supposed to take each and every community along. This way Congress tried to please Gujjars at the cost of Paharis which is not acceptable to the community,said Khan.
Same has been the views of Shabaz Khan the chief Executive Pahari People Movement who said Paharis comprise of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs and they face many problems to which the Government needs to pay attention. Khan said the Pahari community is bracing for a big movement and its delegation will hold the StateCommittee meeting in Srinangar on June 6 and a delegation of it will also call on visiting Prime Minister on June 7 or at in Kashmir Valley to express their resentment over the treatment given to the community by AICC chief.
It will be followed by a youth convention in July at Surankote and Delhi Chalo March to seek the Union Government's intervention regarding settlement of the demand, Khan added.
There is brewing resentment among the members of Pahari community against Gandhi's statement who tried to patronise one community by highlighting its contribution and ignoring the other which has performed the much more important role in defending the countries frontiers than Gujjars, said Amar Singh from border district of Poonch who is also the senior most member of Gujjar Forum.
The statement is against the dignity of the Pahari people. This shows that Congress chief wants to say that only Gujjars and Bakerwals are the only patriotic and not the other communities ,he added
We will strive for our rights and fight for the grant of ST status from which we have been deprived so far, he said, adding the Congress Party is on record to say that it will accept the demand.
It may be recalled that majority of the Assembly seats in twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch are represented by the Pahari people and no party can afford ignoring the community, said Gafoor Khan.
Seeing the growing resentment among the Pahari community the state Congress leadership has also started a damage control exercise.The sources in Pradesh Congress Committee said some ministers have also contacted some Pahari Forum leaders to convince them that Gandhi never intended to hurt their sentiments. This exercisewas started by PCC leaders on the directives of Party High Command after a recent statement was made by Shahbaz Khan taking serious exception to Gandhi's statement.
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