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| JKSAC Unit Samba held meeting | | |  Early Times Report
JAMMU, Sept 4: Jammu Kashmir Sharnarthi Action Committee (JKSAC) Unit district Samba held a meeting of its executive body members and other prominent DP at village Abtal Samba reiterated its demand for the grant of ST-2 category status to the Pahari speaking DPs of 1947 from POJK settled in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi, Doda etc. The DPs of the said area are not issued certificates by the designated authorities despite of clarity of rules. The participants strongly condemned the callous and discriminatory attitude of the concerned bureaucracy, continuously in process to create wedge between Pahari speaking ethnic group of 1947 from POJK and the govt. of J&K.
Speaking in the meeting Gurdev Singh President alongwith Sh. Mittar Pal Singh, president JKSAC Unit Samba, S. Gurmail Singh Vice-president SGPC Samba, S. Manjeet Singh Sarpanch strongly criticized the divisive and discriminatory policy and said that it has become imperative now to highlight that over 50 thousands families migrated from the hilly areas of erstwhile J&K state illegally occupied by Pakistan. These displaced peoples were temporarily rehabilitated by the then govt. as per the availability of the lands allotted to them under it's rehabilitation policy in different districts of Jammu region, with the result that these DPs families having same distinct culture, ethnic and linguistic identities of Pahari community/clan, speaking Pahari language were got scattered. Gurdev Singh said that it is a matter of satisfaction that DPs residing in Poonch and Rajouri have been grated ST-2 status but at the same time strongly criticized the govt. for its divisive policy and discriminatory attitude that DPs settled in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Reasi, Udhampur have being denied the status of ST-2 category. He said that the concerned administrative deptt. has been approached number of times in this regard that why the people residing beyond Rajouri and Poonch are not granted ST-2 status. But unfortunately authorities have not answer.
He asserted that a false narrative has been created by certain hidden elements within the govt. that ST-2 status would be granted only to people residing in Rajouri and Poonch and not residing in other areas . He said that it has become pertinent to mention here that identities of the people having same culture, clan and language cannot be determined on the basis of areas which has also been clarified by the concerned Hon'ble Minister for Social Welfare and Education, Smt. Sakeena Ittoo in the legislative assembly on 08-04-2025 that area/place of residence is not a criteria for the grant of ST-2 status/certificate. He further said that it is great apathy of the concerned administrative deptt. that after enlistment of Pahari ethnic group as one of tribe, is entitled to benefit under ST category vide amendment of constitution (J&K) Scheduled Tribe order/Act of 2024 (Amendment). It is highly unfortunate that despite of clearance of rule and clarification given by Hon'ble Minister, the DPs residing in Jammu region beyond Jammu and Poonch are not granted ST-2 category by the designated authorities despite of completion the codal formalities under rules. He warned the govt. the struggle would be intensified if the issue is not settled before ending 2025.
S. Mittar Pal Singh president JKSAC Unit Samba also spoke and said that for decades the DPs has struggled for their legitimate rehabilitation and also continuously pressed hard upon the govt. to provide reservation to their wards in govt. services and technical institutions as they have faced and are facing tremendous hardship on social, economical and political fronts. All the govts. ignored their legitimate issues and finally when the Pahari speaking people were enlisted as ethnic group as one of the tribe entitled for the benefits under ST category they are being denied without quoting any legal reason by the concerned deptt. He alongwith other participants appealed to Hon'ble Chief Minister and Lt. Governor to issue an advisory to the concerned deptt. and its designated authorities to issue ST-2 category certificates to the Pahari speaking DPs applicants without any further delay as these people are not asking for any charity for their wards but demanding the constitutional rights of equality and justice. |
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