Cong promises ST status to 6 Gaddi sub-castes in Kangra

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, June 25

Sudhir Sharma, AICC secretary, and Rajinder Rana, Sujanpur MLA and a working president of the HPCC, organised a rally to woo Gaddi community voters at Baijnath in the Chhota Bhangal area of Kangra district today. The Congress leaders, while addressing the rally, promised the Scheduled Tribes (ST) status to six sub-castes of the Gaddi community.

Rana, while talking to The Tribune, said that injustice had been done to the six sub-castes of the Gaddi community, which had not been accorded the ST status. These six sub-castes make up about 25 per cent of the Gaddi population in the state. The Congress would give the ST status to these sub-castes as soon as it comes to power in the state, he added.

These sub-castes are Sippy, Halli, Dhogri, Daggi, Rhadey and Baddi. These have not been given the ST status but these enjoy the Scheduled Castes (SC) status. However, the main grudge of the people belonging to these sub-castes is that they can’t contest elections from constituencies reserved for the ST community. They say that despite living in reserved ST areas they have been denied the right to contest elections, the sources say.

There is resentment among Gaddi people over not being given representation in the Congress party organisation. The community has a considerable vote bank in many Assembly constituencies in Kangra district. The Congress revamped its organisational structure in the state recently but did not accommodate any Gaddi leader. The Gaddi leaders allege that while in the BJP, Kangra MP Kishan Kapoor and Dharamsala MLA Vishal Nehria belong to the community, the Congress has not given place to any of their representatives.

On the question of representation to Gaddis in the Congress organisation, Rana said that the party would give due regard to the community. He added that today’s programme was organised to highlight the long pending demands of the Gaddi community.