Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 4: Under a well planned conspiracy, concerted efforts have allegedly been made to erode "Bakerwal" nomenclature from nomad tribals and subsume them under the umbrella term "Gujjars", which is seen as conspiracy to deprive the deserving nomadic people from various benefits meant for them.
The community representatives informed Early Times that on Wednesday a programme was organized at Gujjar Bakerwal PG Hostel, Kunjwani, in which a researcher from New Delhi explained about tribal community. The invitation sent to media persons and other dignitaries read, "Awareness Programme on Textiles and Costumes of Gujjars of Jammu", but the photograph on the invitation was of a Bakerwal but there was no mention of Bakerwals.
Sources informed that they were shocked to listen that a new nomenclature "Bakerwal Gujjar" was used in the entire programme rather than separately Bakerwals, which is different from Gujjars.
"Concerted efforts have been made by some vested interests to eliminate "Bakerwal" nomenclature and incorporate them into umbrella term", sources said, adding that it was being done for the last some couple of years by some people, who have been getting the benefits of Schedule Tribe (ST) reservation.
"In real sense, the nomadic Bakerwals as well as Doodi Gujjars are the most marginalized and vulnerable sections in the ST community who deserve the ST benefits but are not getting the same. The maximum benefits of ST reservation is siphoned off by the rich people residing in urban areas and have nothing to do with tribal culture", sources said, adding that these people have been selling the name of tribals and have been responsible for nefarious designs to change the nomenclature.
Sources further said that the sorry state of affairs could be gauged from the fact that in the last over 70 years, these elite class ST representatives, have not got conducted the census of Bakerwals and Doodi Gujjars, who were still practicizing transhumance and bearers of the tribal culture.
"Census must be done by the government of settled, semi-nomad and fully nomad Bakerwals as well as Doodi Gujjars, so that creamy layer must be excluded and the ST reservation benefits must be trickle down to most deserving people", sources said. |
