Cong promises ST status to all Gaddis

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, April 28

The Congress will give Scheduled Tribe (ST) reservation to all left-out castes of the Gaddi community. Former minister and AICC secretary Sudhir Sharma said this while talking to The Tribune.

Sudhir said that when ST status was given to the Gaddi community of Himachal, many lower castes, including SCs, were left out. The maximum benefit of reservation to the community went to the upper castes, including Brahmins, Rajputs and Khatris, he said.

Sudhir Sharma said in case the Congress was voted to power, it would extend benefit of ST reservation to all Gaddis.

The statement of the Congress leader comes at atime when Gaddi leader Kishan Kapoor is contesting as BJP candidate from Kangra. It is being expected that the Gaddi community might rally behind Kishan Kapoor as it is for the first time that a Gaddi leader is contesting as candidate of a mainstream political party from Kangra.

The Gaddi community forms a sizeable chunk of voters in the Kangra parliamentary constituency. Now with an offer to provide reservation of all castes of the community, the Congress has tried to divide it.

The Gaddi community has its origins in Bharmour region. Initially, the ST status to the Gaddi community was area specific. The Gaddis, who had lands in Bharmour, were given the ST status. However, later a demand was raised for many Gaddis, migrated from the Bharmour region and settled in various parts of Kangra and Chamba district. Later, the benefit of the ST status was given to the Gaddis who had their origin in Bharmour but had later migrated to other parts.

Sudhir Sharma said there were many members of the Gaddi community, especially those belonging to lower castes, who did not own land in traditional communities. These castes had been denied the benefit of the ST status as they did not own any land and had their habitation just on common lands of Gaddi villages. The Congress intended to provide justice to such members of Gaddi community, Sudhir Sharma said.