SRINAGAR: Amid the ongoing 500-km-long foot march by Gujjar and Bakerwals in Jammu and Kashmir to oppose inclusion of Paharis or other elite castes in the ST reservation status, J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said Pahari community would get reservation but there would be no cut or decrease in quota of Gujjars and Bakerwals.
“Home Minister Amit Shah during his recent address to public rallies in Rajouri andBaramulla had made it clear that Paharis will get reservation in ST category soon but there will be no cut in reservation quota of Gujjars and Bakerwals,” Lt Governor Sinha said, while addressing a Janjatiya Samagam on the launch of week-long festivities on Janjatiya Gaurav Divas in Jammu on Tuesday.
He said, “Paharis will also get the reservation but there would be no tampering with the reservation of Gujjar and Bakerwal community.”
"I urge those undertaking Padyatra (foot march) to return home. Some people with vested interest are spreading rumours on reservation. They are the same people who do not want peace and progress in the region,” said Sinha.
The Gujjar and Bakerwal are on a 500-km-long foot march called ‘Tribals Bachao March’ in J&K for protection of their identity and rights under the Scheduled Tribe status and oppose inclusion of Pahari community or any other elite castes in the ST status. The Save Tribals march is being carried out under the banner of recently formed united front Gujjar Bakerwal Joint Action Committee (GBJAC). The foot march started from the border district of Kupwara in Kashmir on November 4. It will travel through all 20 districts of J&K and culminate in Kathua district of Jammu region.
The Gujjar and Bakerwal community enjoys 10% reservation in education and government employment in J&K. Besides, nine Assembly seats in J&K have also been reserved for the community by the Delimitation Commission. “Through this foot march, we want to protect our identity and rights under the ST status. We are opposing the granting of ST status to the Pahari community or any upper caste of J&K,” said Gujjar activist Guftar Ahmad.
He said the Pahari community is not eligible for ST status as the status is not being granted on the basis of language. The Gujjar and Bakerwal community feels that declaring Paharis and other upper caste communities as STs would be injustice with the tribal population and it will deprive them of their rights in education and jobs.