BJP’s social engineering at play in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of polls
Arjun Sharma
Jammu, July 27
With the panchayat and local bodies polls expected in coming months and Lok Sabha elections scheduled next year, the BJP is pulling all the stops to woo micro-communities of Jammu and Kashmir.
Four Bills tabled in Parliament on Wednesday will not only allow many communities to get reservation, but will also fulfil their long-pending demand for social justice.
Reservation for communities
- Four Bills related to Jammu and Kashmir were tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday
- The introduction of the Bills will not only allow many communities to get reservation, but will also fulfil their long-pending demand for social justice
The Bills introduced in the Lok Sabha yesterday include the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023. The reorganisation Bill, besides providing reservation to Kashmiri Pandits and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) refugees in the Legislative Assembly, will ensure inclusion of many communities, including Paharis, Gadda Brahmins, Kolis and Paddari tribe in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list.
However, the move is being seen by experts as an attempt by the saffron party to use social engineering in order to make inroads into the Muslim-dominated regions of Rajouri, Poonch, Doda and Kishtwar. The BJP base has a strong base in the Hindu-dominated areas of the Jammu division.
“The BJP is now trying to expand its base in Rajouri and Poonch by giving ST status to Pahari-speaking people who have high concentration in these twin districts and come from different communities. The party is also expecting to gain Muslim vote bank ahead of the crucial elections,” said Rekha Chowdhary, political analyst and former professor of political science at Jammu University. She, however, said the resentment shown by the Gujjar community against giving the ST status to the Paharis could backfire if concerns on quota share were not resolved at the earliest. The Gujjars already enjoy the ST status.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had held a meeting with leaders of the Gujjar and Paharis communities a day before the introduction of the Bill pertaining to the ST status in Parliament. Sources said the leaders were assured that their 10 per cent reservation in educational institutions and jobs would not be affected.
In an attempt to woo the Dalit community, the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill proposes to include Valmikis in the Scheduled Caste list in J&K. The community had not been included in the SC list so far.
