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| Gujjar, Bakerwals fume against coalition, feel betrayed | | 'NC, Congress will face consequences of ignoring community' | | early times report
Jammu, Nov 25: At a time when the coalition partners are desperately trying to garner support of Panchayat members to ensure victory of their candidates for the LC polls, Gujjars and Bakerwals have expressed strong resentment against the government for having ignored their community in not giving mandate to a candidate despite their strong claims and stakes in the polls.
Strong resentment and anger was openly echoed in the One Day Conference organized in Jammu today by All J&K Gujjar Bakerwal United Conference. It was explicitly conveyed that by pushing the community to wall on this front too, both National Conference and Congress have made it abundantly clear that they have only been exploiting the community for their own political gains. The speakers having affiliations with various parties including those from ruling partners declared that this will not only tilt the pattern of voting of their members and outcome of LC polls, but shall have telling impact in the 2014 Assembly polls in the politics of both NC as well as Congress.
"Gujjars and Bakerwals are unhappy with all political parties for not considering even one name for the polls from either Kashmir or Jammu region …but their anger is directed more towards the ruling coalition as the community feels betrayed and exploited by both the parties….", said Shah Mohammad Choudhary , president of the United Front. Almost all the speakers spoke fearlessly against the coalition and raised pointed questions to both the parties, he said .
"Many leaders of the community contended that if Congress could consider a candidate from the SC community, why has it completely ignored the Gujjars and Bakerwals …….how can NC afford to sideline and isolate the Gujjars and Bakerwals when it knows well that the role of this community can bring a sea change in 2014 political scene in the state…", explained Shah Mohammad as what was the anti coalition sentiment that prevailed in the One day conference today and was echoed loudly, even amid presence of ministers, legislators and other functionaries from both the parties. The pointed and harsh message that emerged in the conference was that no party, no matter in ruling regime or in opposition can afford to ignore the rights and claims of the Gujjar and Bakerwal community.
What can come as a severe blow to the Coalition is the determination that was echoed by most of the speakers in the Conference today and what can be seen as an alarming indication is that Panchayat members from within this community , having felt isolated , may not vote in favour of the coalition candidates. There are a sizable number of Panches and Sarpanches having won on quota under the ST reservation rules who appear to be in no mood of supporting the coalition parties, though many of them have affiliations with these parties.
The community is also sore over the fact that Kashmir based politicians are sabotaging their political interests and stumbling their rights to which they are entitled in not giving reservation to them in the Assembly and conceding their demands as projected from time to time in the private members bills in the House. "The community has been watching all this particularly during the last few years….those leaders and parties who have resisted the moves in our favour will see its impact in time to come…", said the Front president in what came up as loud assertion in today's conference.
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