Neha
Jammu, Oct 11: The Gujjars and Bakerwals got the ST status in April 1991. They struggled to get it for years. The grant of ST status entitled the community to some reservation in Government jobs and higher educational institutions, including universities and professional colleges such as medical and engineering. However, these privileges did not fully satisfy them. The reason was that they could not, unlike their counterparts in rest of the country, get political reservation in the Assembly and Parliament.
They have been holding meeting, conferences, workshops and press conference on the issue from time to time since 1991 in order to attract the attention of the authorities to their demand, but nothing has happened so far. Nor is there the possibility of their demand being considered by the State Government. Why because neither the Congress nor the NC appreciates their demand, leave aside some statements here and there made by some NC and Congress leaders which are no more than a lip-service. The NC and the Congress and other Kashmir-based and Kashmir parties hobnob with the Pathowari-speaking people, who have also been demanding ST status for more than two decades now as well as Gujjars and Bakerwals, like the Gujjar and Bakerwal leaders hobnob with the Kashmir-based NC, the Congress and other Kashmiri leaders.
The truth is that the Gujjar and Bakerwal leadership, which has become quite prominent and prosperous as well over the period, has been extending support to the parties which are opposed to its demand, as also to those who want Article 370 to go lock, stock and barrel. It is because of Article 370 -- which has been abused and misused by the Kashmiri leadership and its supporters in Jammu province to promote its own vested interests at the cost of the people -- that the Gujjar and Bakerwal community has failed to achieve its goal. If they really want political reservation they have to do two things: Oppose tooth and nail the Congress, the NC and similar other outfits and work day and night to ensure the abrogation of Article 370. |
