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| Gujjars urge PM to announce special economic, political package | | Poswal opposing granting ST status to Peharis | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Apr 23
The Gujjars of Jammu and Kashmir today urged Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to announce a special economic and political package during his visit to the State for the up lifment of Gujjar tribe of the State.
Addressing a media persons here today Ch Ishfaq ur Rehman Poswal,State President of Akhil Bhartiya Gujjar Maha Sabha said there are about 2 lakh nomad Gujjars and Bakerwals who are without shelter are eagerly waiting for a "Rehabilitation Package". Poswal alleged it is astonishing that there is no mention of Gujjars including SC/ST communities in the recommendations of the "four Working Groups" and there is no incentive for Scheduled Casts and Scheduled Tribes in two packages of Prime Minister announced for State. He said that we the SC/ST communities constitute more than 35% of total population of the State and have all along being giving sacrifices for the cause of National unity but have been neglected "Not this we the Gujjars are being discriminated by the "State government" since 1947.The Scheduled Tribe Status which was granted way back in 1991 failed to provide the constitutional safeguards to us" said Mr. Rehman Giving the example Poswal said that the government is biased hence the packages announced by Prime Minister in past for Jammu Kashmir is not having anything substantial for Gujjars which constitute 20 to 25 % population of the State of Jammu and Kashmir. He said Gujjars in the State are being victim of extreme poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and facing hardship of nomadic way of life .Our problems are different than any other community of the State hence special economic and political package is our right, said Rehman.
Poswal said we the Gujjars of the State strongly opposes to the demand of S.T Status by Pahari speaking people of the State and warn the centre government against any such move to dilute the Tribal status. He expressed his anguish over the vested interested people trying to weaken the Tribal character of various communities and ride upon the established procedures and set practices to grant tribal status. He further said Pahari speaking people" have never been defined either by the J&K Government or the Union Government. Such class of people have neither been defined in any works of history, anthropology or census nor even mentioned in revenue records. Paharis were neither defined as a weaker section and nor they approached before the any Commission, the Gujjar leader added that the demand of the Pahari speaking people is merely based on the premises of language while the dialect or the language is not any criteria to declare any class as Scheduled Tribe Poswal added. |
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