| Paharis, OBCs pin hopes on Amit Shah’s visit | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, June 21: Pahari-speaking people and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) are hoping that Union Home and Cooperative Minister Amit Shah will make some important announcements regarding their long pending demands during his visit to Jammu on June 23.
On the martyrdom day of Dr. Shyama Prashad Mukherjee, founder of the Jan Sangh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address a grand public rally at Jammu.
While OBCs of are demanding the implementation of the Mandal Commission report in Jammu and Kashmir like other parts of the country, Paharis are struggling to get Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
After the abrogation of Article 370, the Union Government has promised that OBCs will be granted reservations like other parts of the country. Article 370 was the biggest hurdle in the implementation of the Mandal Commission report in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
After the implementation of the Mandal Commission report in J&K, OBCs will get 27 percent reservation.
Paharis on the other hand are hopeful that Union Home Minister will fulfil his promise of granting ST status to the community.
During his visit to Jammu on October 4, 2022, the Union Home Minister had promised to grant ST status to Paharis
Paharis will be the first linguistic group to get Scheduled Tribe (ST) status in the country.
The central government needs to amend the Reservations Act in Parliament to grant ST status to Paharis.
While addressing a rally at the border town of Rajouri of Jammu and Kashmir on October 4, 2022, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had
promised that the Pahari-speaking people of Jammu and Kashmir will get Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
He, however, announced that ST status will be granted to Paharies, but not at the cost of the rights of existing scheduled tribes of the Union Territory.
The Union Minister assured like Gujjar and Bakerwals, Paharis will also get ST status as it was the long pending demand of this community.
He, however, assured Gujjars and Bakerwals that this decision will not dilute the rights of the communities which are already enjoying the ST status. “There will be no effect on the reservation of Gujjars and Bakewals even by one percent,” Shah had assured. |
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