Jammu: Paharis take out parallel march to counter Gujjars’ ‘Paidal Yatra’

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, November 18

In response to the ‘Paidal March’ (foot march) by youth belonging to the Gujjar community against the move of the central government to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Pahari community, the latter has started a ‘Dhanyavaad Yatra’ (thanksgiving march) in support of the decision.

The National Commission for Schedule Tribes has reportedly given nod to include the Pahari community of J&K in the ST list, irking the Gujjar and Bakerwal communities that were already enjoying reservation under the ST status.

Bharat Bhushan Vaid, vice-chairman of the Rajouri municipal council and a Pahari leader, said, “Our Dhanyavaad Yatra is a response to those who are against granting ST status to our community. We fought for 32 years irrespective of caste and religion and got what we deserved.”

Vaid said while most of the senior Gujjar leaders welcomed the decision to grant the ST status to the Paharis, “there are some anti-social elements that want to create a wedge between the two communities for their petty gains”.

While the march by Gujjars started from Kupwara in Kashmir and will culminate in Kathua district of the Jammu division in over a week, the yatra by Paharis is more confined to Rajouri and Poonch district. The Gujjars’ march reached Rajouri today.

Leaders of the Pahari community have so far toured Bafliaz, Surankote, Poonch town, Mandi, Jawahar Nagar, Manjakote, Nowshera in Rajouri and Poonch. They are informing the Pahari people about the possibility of getting ST status in the next Parliament session. Sohail Malik, who is the District Development Council member from Surankote in Poonch, said Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during his rally in Rajouri in October, had cleared that the ST status to Paharis would not impact the quota to the Gujjars and Bakerwals.

There are apprehensions among locals that two marches by opposing groups may lead to tension in both districts where Gujjars and Paharis have substantial population.