Gujjars oppose Paharis' demand for ST status

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, August 9

Days after Pahari-speaking people demanded Scheduled Tribe (ST) status and political reservation, leaders of the Gujjar community, who are already enjoying reservation under ST status, have openly come out against the demand, setting the tone for an issue that could snowball into a major political slugfest in the coming days.

All J&K Gujjar-Bakerwal Coordination Committee today stated that recent developments indicate that the “Paharis and their self-styled leaders having connections at the right places in the establishment have joined hands to convince the authorities in J&K and New Delhi to their spurious and unjustifiable claim to ST status so that they could share the benefits of tribals”.

The leaders of the committee also held a media conference in Jammu to put forward their demands.

Advocate Anwar Chowdhary and convener of the committee said that the tribal populace of J&K got ST status in 1991 after decades of a relentless struggle. It got 10 per cent reservation in job sector, professional and technical institutions.

“That the Paharis were granted 4 per cent reservation in the job sector and they are already enjoying 39 per cent reservation under different heads including Resident of Backward Area (RBA), Actual Line of Control (ALC), OBC and EWS among others established beyond any shadow of doubt that the conspirators are all out to jeopardise the legitimate rights and interests of the tribal,” alleged Chowdhary.

Both Paharis and Gujjars form strong political groups that different parties eye in J&K. With their presence in both Kashmir and Jammu divisions, they are vote-banks for parties from both regions that cannot be ignored. This is for the first time that any of the two groups have launched a direct attack against the other. “No authentic history book or book on anthropology and sociology refers to the Paharis as a tribe or even a group of tribal people,” said Chowdhary.

Leader of the BJP from Rajouri district and former vice-chairman of the advisory Board for the Development of Pahari-speaking people, Kuldeep Raj Gupta, had recently demanded that the government must roll out political reservation for the Paharis and grant ST status to them.

Interestingly, Arshad Choudhary, executive member of BJP, was also present during the presser of All J&K Gujjar-Bakerwal Coordination Committee. However the committee has stated that in case the government grants ST status to Paharis, they would take legal course by going to the Supreme Court against the move.

Vote-banks that parties can’t ignore

Both Paharis and Gujjars form strong political groups that different parties eye in J&K. With their presence in both Kashmir and Jammu divisions, they are vote-banks for parties from both regions that cannot be ignored.

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