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| BJP cheated 'Koli' community over reservation, ST status: Harsh | | | Early Times Report
UDHAMPUR, Aug 21: Strongly flaying the govt for depriving the 'Koli' community of their long pending demand of ST status and reservation in govt jobs, Harsh Dev Singh JKNPP Chairman and former Minister today described their neglect as a grave injustice against a highly marginalized sect inhabiting the remote and hilly areas of Jammu province besides providing a glaring example of regional bias perpetuated against Jammu region. He said that while the Agenda of Alliance unambiguously stated in clause F of point no. 27, the commitment of the govt to provide ST status and resultant reservation to "Paharies" and "Kolis", the latter were blatantly disregarded as the said tribe wholly belonged to Jammu region as against former who predominantly inhabited Kashmir region.
Harsh Dev Singh said that BJP-PDP had promised job reservations and the grant of ST Status to Paharies and Kolis during their election campaigns and had subsequently incorporated the same in the Agenda of Alliance. He however regretted that whereas the Paharies were granted 3% reservation by amending the J&K Reservation Act and similar reservation was granted to inhabitants of IB, no initiative was taken by any of the parties to fulfill the commitments made to the Koli community during elections. He said that the Koli community largely inhabit District Udhampur, District Kathua, District Doda and District Ramban, with all the elected representatives belonging to BJP from the said areas. He however regretted that not a single MLA of the said area promoted their cause in the Assembly or outside while granting reservations to Paharies who predominantly inhabit District Baramulla, District Anantnag and Kupwara of Kashmir Valley besides some pockets of Rajouri and Poonch.
Flaying the callous attitude of the concerned authorities towards the most legitimate demand of the said community, Singh said that the grant of ST status to Kolis had been recommended by various Deputy Commissioners on the report sought by the erstwhile state govt but the much needed action in respect of the said recommendations continued to remain elusive. Justifying the demand of Koli's for inclusion in ST category, Harsh Dev Singh stated that Koli and Sippis belong to the same family having same culture, occupation, language, economic and social status and residing in hilly areas having negligible land ownership and are dependent upon rearing of animals. He said that whereas Sippis was included in ST category, the Kolis were ignored inadvertently which needed to be rectified.
Urging the Lt. Governor to take notice of the genuine grievance of the Koli community, Harsh Dev Singh sought initiation of appropriate steps for inclusion of the said class in ST category. |
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