http://www.littleab
Gujjars, Bakerwals allege dilution of ST status, demand implementation
of Mandal Commission in J-K
Published on : Wednesday 20 Jan 2010 16:29 - by ANI
By Tahir Nadeem Khan
Jammu, Jan.20 : Gujjars and Bakerwals took out a cultural march with
their cattle here on Wednesday to press their demand for
implementation of the Mandal Commission report and to stop the Jammu
and Kashmir Government from giving Schedule Tribe status (ST) to
Pahari-speaking people.
Nomadic Gujjars and Bakerwals, who today form 30 per cent of Jammu and
Kashmirs population, are protesting against its move to provide ST
status to the Pahari speaking people of Rajouri, Poonch and Kupwara
districts.
They also blamed the State Government for not implementing the Supreme
Courts ruling to implement the Mandal commission report in the State,
as some vested interests were not in favour of providing relief to the
nomadic population.
By holding a cultural march, we want to show what is our cultural and
old heritage, what kind of people they (Gujjars and Bakerwals) are,
and how they live. They are economically weak, educationally weak, and
financially weak, politically weak and the people (Pahari), who are
demanding that they should be given the Schedule Tribe status by
diluting it are basically sound parties. And they dont want that SC,
ST and OBC (Other backward Classes) should get benefit from it,said
R.K.Kalsotra, President of All India Confederation of SC/ST
organizations.
These schedule tribes (Gujjars and Bakerwals) allege that state
government has obliged the Paharis by recommending ST status for them
to the central government without any basis. Moreover, Pahari as a
language should not be considered basis for granting ST status, as
this has never been considered a basis for granting the status in
anywhere in India. They (Pahari) have come together with an intension
to cause damage to the ST status of the Gujjars and Bakerwals.
We are protesting today against Governments move to give St status to
the princely people, land lords, and money lenders. This move to give
St status is just a conspiracy to deny Gujjars and Bakerwals from its
benefits. And Gujjars are the real Paharis as any one can survey in
India to find that Gujjars live in mountains and follow nomadic life,
said Mohd. Abdullah Chowdhary, a protestor.
Anxiousness started brewing among the nomadic Gujjars and Bakerwals of
the state after Jammu and Kashmir governments recommendation to the
Center to provide ST status to the Pahari speaking people.
INFORMATION OVERLOAD?
Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to ZESTMedia-digest@yahoogroups.com, OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/
PARTICIPATE:-
On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to zestcaste@yahoogroups.com
TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:-
If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to ZESTCaste-subscribe@yahoogroups.com OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/
Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/
No comments:
Post a Comment