Gaddis, Sippis allege bias

Vikram Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 10

Gaddis and Sippis, who are nearly 3.5 lakh in population in the state, have alleged discrimination at the hands of the government for being denied of their Right to Education and other facilities.

Both communities are semi-nomadic tribes having a special characteristic feature for living in dhoks in the last inhabited areas of the five districts of Udhampur, Doda, Kathua, Reasi and Ramban.

Though being covered under the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status in 1991 by the Central government, both these communities are least benefitted as far government aid or development issues for them are concerned.

Talking to The Tribune, Bhikham Pal Singh, chief patron of Gaddi Sippi Tribal Welfare Forum, said though included in the ST status, their educational and welfare schemes were least attended by the state government, which had left them bereft of many opportunities.

“The four sub-categories of the ST formed by the state government have placed us in the lowest rung on the ladder with just 1 per cent reservation, which is a mockery. Gujjars and Bakerwals, who fall in the same category, are given 6 per cent reservation while 2 per cent reservation each goes for ST (Leh) and ST (Kargil), leaving us with just 1 per cent allowance in which nearly nine more communities fall,” Bhikham added.

There are 12 communities in the state that include Bakerwal, Balti, Beda, Bot, Boto, Brokpa, Changpa, Gaddi, Garra, Gujjar, Mon, Purigpa and Sippi.

Besides, Bhikham said in 2007, the state government stopped the pre-metric scholarships to its community people that left many illiterate over the years.

He said there should have been a common ST welfare or advisory board in the state, but only one advisory board for Gujjars and Bakerwals exists, which had more than 25 GB Hostels across the state.

“Our present fight is for a Gaddi Sippi hostel at Udhampur, which the Special Task Force of the Central government had recommended for Jammu and Leh. Again a conspiracy was hatched by the Gujjar-Bakerwal community which has forcefully taken its possession while the government is not paying any heed to our pleas,” he added.Government Degree College, Udhampur, principal Prof SS Bhalwal admitted that the hostel’s management was given to the GDC, Udhampur, for facilities to Gaddis and Sippis, but had been taken over by the Gujjar-Bakerwal community.