Shyam Sood
Rajouri, October 3: Will Home Minister Amit Shah during his rally at Rajouri on Tuesday make an announcement of Schedule Tribe (ST) status for the Pahari Community or will just assure the Paharis of it in the near future?
This suspense hunting the people in both the districts and the Gujjars & Bakerwals are opposing any such move while Paharis are anticipating the same.
Let us see what happens on October 4?
The administration has made elaborate security arrangements to thwart any nefarious design of the ANEs in wake of Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to the Rajouri city on Tuesday (October 4) where he will address a huge rally.
Home Minister landed in Jammu on Monday along with Union Minister Jitendra Singh and senior officers of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
After paying obeisance at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine on Tuesday morning on the occasion of Durga Navami & after that he will fly to Rajouri & will address a largely attended public rally during his maiden visit to Rajouri-Poonch district after the abrogation of article 370.
Here at Rajouri hectic efforts have been made by the BJP and the members of the Pahari Tribe to make the rally a big show.
Reliable sources in BJP and even its leaders, including Ravinder Raina, J&K State President has assured the Pahari Tribe that the Home Minister is likely to announce reservation for the Pahari Community ( demanding ST Status for the last more than 30 years).
On the other hand, Gujjar/Bakerwal leaders and community members have raised a banner of revolt against the government’s attempts to grant ST status to the Pahari Community.
The Gujjars/Bakerwals have been holding meetings against any such move by the government and are likely to skip Home Minister’s rally in resentment.
However, many Gujjar/Bakerwal leaders have appealed to the community members to join Home Minister’s rally.
Reliable sources further said that just ahead of Home Minister’s rally, the J&K Commission of socially &Backward Classes headed by Justice G D Sharma (retd) in its report has recommended ST status for Paharis.
This report of the Commission is likely to further intensify the tussle between both communities.
The Commission’s report reportedly will be processed at a high level in New Delhi by different departments, including Cabinet nod & amendment in the Reservation Act, and may take few months for its implementation.
The report has also doubled the enthusiasm amongst the Pahari Community & their leaders leaving no stone unturned to make Amit Shah’s rally historic.
Gujjars and Bakerwal have termed the government’s move for a reservation to the Pahari community as an ‘illogical move’ and in resentment, on Monday they staged a protest in Jammu against this purposed move of the government.
Here in Rajouri & Poonch districts Pahari Community celebrating as they are anticipating an announcement for ST status from Amit Shah.
Between 30-40 thousand people from both the border districts of Rajouri & Poonch are likely to attend the Home Minister’s rally.
