Jammu, June 29 (Scoop News)- Senior National Conference leaders on Saturday complimented Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for forcefully taking up with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh the issue with regard to grant of reservation to Pahari speaking people of Jammu and Kashmir without disturbing the reservation already available to the Gujjars or any other community.
In a joint statement, former ministers and senior National Conference leaders Peer Mushtaq Ahmed Bukhari and Mirza Abdul Rasheed, Kafeel-ur-Rehman, Vice Chairman Board for Development of Pahari People, MLAs Kr Rachpaul Singh and Aijaz Jan, Ex MLC Rahim Dad, Yaqub Khan, Mushtaq Lodhi and Harcharan Singh alias Baby Pradhan hoped the issue to get favourably decided, ending the discrimination with large chunk of Pahari population which has been craving for reservation for over a decade and half.
The leaders appreciated the endeavour of Omar Abdullah in making the issue of Pahari people during his power point presentation given to the Prime Minister and his team of senior officers of the Government of India in Srinagar early this week. This, they said, signifies the keenness of Mr Abdullah in seeking reservation for Paharis.
National Conference leaders also referred to the initiatives taken by the party President and the former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah in taking up the long pending demand of Paharis at the concerned fora and with the successive Prime Ministers long back and expressed anguish over the delay in settling the issue.
The leaders said that the Pahari people were not against any community or tribe but wanted an end to step-motherly treatment meted out to this large segment of population living in disadvantageous geographical locations in very difficult conditions. They said that due to deprivation of much deserved reservation, lakhs of educated youth belonging to the community cannot progress in academics, professional courses and compete in various state and central services.
The leaders exuded confidence that the Centre will take into consideration the recommendations made by the National Conference led government, especially the Chief Minister, and the party’s high level delegation during the Prime Minister’s recent visit to Srinagar and issue necessary notification forthwith. This will assuage the urges and aspirations of over 30 lakh Pahari population and help in their socio-economic empowerment, they maintained.
The leaders urged Omar Abdullah to continue pursuing the Union Government for expediting the issue so that the Pahari speaking people also flourish in different walks of life alongside other segments of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
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