Jammu, April 19 (Scoop News) – Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation – a main organisation community today said after laps of twenty years of reservation Gujjars are still struggling hard for grant of Political Reservation, Forest Rights, Rehabilitation of nomads, Right to Vote for nomads and other rights vailble to tribals in India. They said we respect the special status of the state but article 370 should not be made as shield to deny tribal rights to Gujjars.
Appealing Gujjar Tribe of Jammu and Kashmir to celebrate 19th April as ‘Gujjars Day’ in future – as on this day in 1991 they got Scheduled Tribe status in the state today Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation started a state wide campaign to achieve equal Tribal Rights for community available to other ST communities in India, Dr. Javaid Rahi Secretary Tribal Foundation said in a statement.
In a special gathering of Gujjar community organised here by Tribal Foundation to celebrate ‘20 year of Reservation’ the speakers stated that community should unite under one banner and start a crusade for recognition of their separate identity and ideology in the state. They said Gujjar were being suppressed by some anti tribal forces in J&K since 1947 and were denied equal opportunity in society to grow up educationally but now we will not allow any body to exploit our people on one or the other reason.
They said after laps of twenty years of reservation Gujjars are still struggling hard for grant of Political Reservation, Forest Rights, Rehabilitation of nomads, Right to Vote for nomads and other rights vailble to tribals in
Dr. Javaid Rahi Secretary Tribal Foundation said some forces in J&K thinks that ‘Reservation’ granted to Gujjars-Bakerwals community in Jammu and Kashmir under Scheduled Tribe category is a charity but they should know that this was our right as tribe. He said we have to fight against poverty, illiteracy jointly , and work for economic stability, food security of our tribein the State.
He said a latest survey conducted by Tribal Foundation after 20 year of reservation revealed that the presence of Gujjars the third largest community of the State is almost negligible in 10 Major Government Institutions of
Quoting Survey he said -we the Gujjars who constitute 20% of population of State having only 2 Deputy Secretaries in entire Civil Secretariat, One Dy Commissioner, One Director in Civil Administration 2 Session Judges, one recently joined IAS and one IPS.
He said that our younger generation should focus on new system of attaining knowledge through various resources including internet and new technology. He asked the tribal youth not to isolate themselves from mainstream and work alongwith other communities like a true struggler in achieving the set goals.
Gujjars who constitute 85% of tribal population of the State sharing 10% reservation in government jobs/promotion with 10 other tribes including 8 from Ladakh.
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