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| Gujjar leadership not interested in political reservation | | Half-hearted hunger strike | | Rustam
JAMMU, Jan 1: On Tuesday, several members of Gujjar and Bakerwal communities drawn from different areas of the State participated in the 24-hour hunger strike outside Raj Bhawan. The hunger strike took place under the banner of Bharatiya Gujjar Mahasabha (BGM) to register protest against what they said embezzlement of funds in schemes meant for the welfare of Gujjar and Bakerwal communities, as also to draw the attention of the authorities to their demand for political reservation. Addressing members of his community, BGM president Ehsfaq-ur-Rehman Poswal said that due to misappropriation of funds since 1991, his communities are still backward and deprived of basic amenities. "We have been left with no option but to agitate to draw attention of the authorities", he said and added that the Gujjar and Bakerwal communities were granted ST status way back in 1991, but despite several welfare schemes devised and implemented by the Central Government, these communities in Jammu & Kashmir are still backward like they were 22 years earlier because the state government didn't implement these schemes in the required manner. "The funds meant for ST communities have been stalled by the Central Government as the State Government is not implementing the guidelines as laid down by the Planning Commission of India", he was also quoted as saying. "We have been demanding creation of administrative department of tribal affairs for proportionate utilization of funds in all 22 districts, 82 tehsil and 142 blocks of the State", but with no result, he bemoaned, and added that the authorities are least bothered and the community members are left with no option but to come on roads to fight for their demands. He declared that the Gujjar and Bakerwal communities would continue their protests across the state and will again go in for 48-hour hunger strike on January 13 in Poonch. Poswal demanded that a high level commission of inquiry under a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge to probe "large scale misappropriation of funds" in all these years so that the guilty persons are brought to justice. Poswal, in fact, put forth many demands. However, it must be said that Poswal, like other Gujjar leaders, is not really interested in what he said. Had he been committed to the Gujjar and Bakerwal cause he would have hit the nail on the head and demanded abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that has turned out to be a curse not only for the ST communities in the state but also for all the social segments of society. He, like all other Gujjar and Bakerwal leaders, including three ministers in the Omar Abdullah-led coalition government, know it full well that it is because of the discriminatory and divisive Article 370 that his community members have failed tobtain what they deserve, but he thought it politically wise not to demand abrogation of this pernicious Article. If Poswal, or for that matter other community leaders, are really interested in political reservation and other rights which are available to the ST communities across the country, barring Jammu & Kashmir, they have to join hands with those who have been struggling for the abrogation of Article 370. If the fail to do so, they would be only accused of misleading and hoodwinking their own communities, as also of thriving on the innocence of the tribal communities. |
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