Fate of J&K Dalits evades attention of civil society

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 15

The plight of Dalits of Jammu and Kashmir, who constitute 7.6 per cent of the state’s population that is 1.25 crore, is terrible as compared to other parts of the country, but their condition has rarely caught the attention of academicians and the civil society.

Miseries of Dalits have gone unheard as the civil society never tried to look beyond the exclusive Kashmir-centric problems. They are virtually being sandwiched between competitive politics of separatism and ultra-nationalism.

“The special status granted to J&K is brazenly being abused by the ruling elite to bulldoze constitutional rights of weaker sections of society in the state,” said RK Kalsotra, chairman of the J&K chapter of the Confederation of SC, ST and OBC organisations.

Kalsotra pointed out that reservation in services for the Scheduled Castes across the country was executed with the enactment of the Indian Constitution on January 26, 1950 but Dalits of J&K were denied this constitutional right till 1970 by the then democratic rulers by citing the excuse of the special status of the state

Unlike other parts of the country, J&K has three categories of Dalits —the real natives of the state, those who crossed over to this side from Pakistan and those who were brought from outside the state to serve here.

Valmikis fall in the third category and West Pakistan refugees in the second. The first category of Dalits, who are natives of J&K, are entitled to citizenship but the remaining two categories are debarred from this privilege despite the fact that they have been living in the state for decades.

Amid nationwide outrage over suicide of Rohit Vemula recently, a Phd scholar at University of Hyderabad, Dalits of J&K have reasons to blame civil society and activists of the country for being “selective” and “biased” in highlighting their troubles.

“We support the agitation launched by some groups to fix responsibility on those who are the real culprits behind the suicide of Rohith Vemula but we are against the selective support by activist groups for the cause of Dalits,” rued Garu Bhatti, a leader of Valmiki Samaj of Jammu.

Valmikis and West Pakistani refugees are glaring examples of the communities, which are being deprived of constitutional and human rights.

“Reservation rules are brazenly being violated. Funds sanctioned by the Centre under the Special Central Assistance (SCA) for their uplift are being diverted to general components. Why is nobody looking into those issues?” asked advocate Pawan Kundal, a crusader for the cause of weaker sections.

Unlike other parts of the country, SCA, which is now called as Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP), is not implemented in J&K due to the special status granted to the state.

The SCSP was introduced for channelising the due share of the plan benefits and outlays to the Dalits but it is not introduced in J&K, thus depriving the deserving section of opportunities of growth and development.

While pointing towards the plight of Valmikis and West Pakistan refugees, Kundal regretted that in the modern world, these two communities were being deprived of all basic rights, which were required for the socio-economic growth of a human being.

Living in different localities of Jammu for the last 58 years, Valmikis are being debarred from applying for any government job, except sweepers, in J&K because they have been denied Permanent Resident Certificates (PRCs).

Same is the condition of ‘stateless’ West Pakistani refugees, 90 per cent of whom are Dalits.

They have a significant presence in Hindu dominated districts of Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Udhampur and Reasi. Their number is considerable in other parts, including erstwhile Doda district and mountainous belt of Poonch and Rajouri.

They constitute 19.44 per cent of Jammu’s population of 53.50 lakh. Dalits are divided into 13 sub-castes.

Problems of the West Pakistan refugee Dalits

At the time of partition in 1947, a large number of Dalits from West Pakistan had entered Jammu and Kashmir. Those who went to other parts of the country have been enjoying all constitutional rights but they are deprived of basic rights in J&K.

They are neither considered citizens of J&K nor are they entitled to any government job in the state. They are also deprived of all state and Centre-sponsored schemes, especially formulated for the socio-economic growth of weaker sections.

Problems of Valmikis brought from Punjab

Valmikis were brought from Punjab, way back in 1957, when local safai karamcharis went on an indefinite strike.

They were promised all constitutional rights like other citizens of J&K but nothing has been done so far.

Living in different localities of Jammu, except sweepers, they are being debarred from applying for any other government job in J&K.

Their children can study up to graduation but are not eligible to apply for government jobs. Their children cannot get admission in government-run professional institutes.

Woes of local Dalits

They had to agitate for 20 years to get reservation. The SCA, which is now called as Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP), is not implemented in J&K due to the special status being granted to J&K.