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| Azad supports reservation to Gujjars | | |
ET REPORTER
Jammu, Aug 6: Reaching out the Gujjars with all his magnanimity, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today said that he favours political reservation for Scheduled Tribes if the community prevails upon all political parties for a consensus.
Azad said that while speaking at a function organised by the Gurjardesh Charitable Trust where hundreds of Gujjars cutting across the party lines raised demand for reservation to Gujjars in the legislature.
On the occasion the Chief Minister also gave away prizes of distinguished contribution to the promotion of Gujjari language to three persons. Shaan-e-Gurjar was presented to Mohammad Yusuf Taing, former Secretary of the Cultural Academy and Mukhlis Wajdani, literary personality from Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Sitara-a-Gurjar was presented to Sabar Afaaqi, also from Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said, political reservation for a section of the population required constitutional amendment for which political parties in the legislature would have to arrive at a consensus. He said so far as his Congress party was concerned it had no reservation in accepting the demand. However, he said given the numbers in the assembly, the party on its own cannot affect the amendment to the Constitution. Support of other political parties, particularly PDP and National Conference, was also required to amend the law, he added.
"You must work for creating consensus among political parties on the issue and take advantage of the current session of the legislature", Azad told the community leaders adding that they had influence in every political party that could be used to bring the political spectrum on the same wavelength.
The Chief Minister said political reservation could be given according to the population without infringing the rights of other segments of the society. He said he had convened a meeting of all political parties to arrive at consensus on setting up of a Delimitation Commission and 25 % increase in the seats of the State assembly. He said even if the increase in assembly seats could not materialize, still the delimitation of seats and reservation for scheduled tribes could be agreed upon. He recalled that the Congress party manifesto and the common minimum programme of the ruling coalition also provided for setting up of delimitation commission. He said a Bill was ready on the subject and asked the political parties to support him in getting it through in the legislature.
The Chief Minister referred to several decisions taken by the government recently especially during the meetings of Advisory Boards of Gujjar and Bakarwal and Paharis for speedy socio-economic transformation of the schedule tribes. He said his government had attached top priority to the development of downtrodden and economically backward sections of the society. He made a special mention of the decisions taken with regard to setting up of a separate directorate for tribal welfare and upgradation of 100 primary schools in Gujjar and Bakarwal inhabited areas this year. He said his government was fully aware of the problems and development needs of Gujjars, Bakarwals, Pahari speaking people and others living in far-flung areas. He said several initiatives were being taken for ensuring their all round development.
He praised the contribution of Chairman Masud Choudhary and other members of the Trust, for setting up a magnificent complex with school, hostel, vocational training centre and other facilities for students. He also recalled the contribution of Gujjar community in the development of the state and the country.
Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Taj Mohiuddin also spoke on the occasion and highlighted the measures taken by the state government for the development and welfare of Gujjars and other similarly placed communities.
Chairman Gurjar Desh Charitable Trust Masud Choudhary gave details of the activities of the trust and its future plan of action.
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