Mohd Irfan
As the Union Home, Amit Shah is arriving tomorrow in Jammu to address Mega rally at Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu after that in Kashmir to access the security situation in Kashmir, the Paharis, who have been assured by the government that they will get Scheduled Tribe (ST) status since past several months but they are saying that government not fulfilled their promised made with them.
With Shah’s visit to UT has made the Paharis elated and jubilant that he would make the much awaited announcement of ST status to the Paharis. Paharis opined that successive regimes played truant with them and deprived them of their basic rights of ST status. But now, with the assurance made with them by the government that they will get a ST Status which reposed trust and faith that they will fulfilled their long pending demand of ST status and end their long discrimination which they meted out due to not granted the ST status.
“Fingers are crossed that some good news will come in respect of ST status one of the Paharis said adding, it is beyond ones comprehension as to why the government adopting dilly dallying tactics in granting the ST status to us which is need of the hour. We paharis fulfilled all the requisite conditions of Paharis as such we are eligible for ST status. If the government grant us ST Status this will be remembered in the times to come a big decision taken which will go a long way in providing the much needed relief to the gullible class of Paharis who being neglected by the government for their vested interests”, he lamented.
It is pertinent to mention here in that Gujjars and Bakerwals community opposed the granting of ST Status to these Paharis on the ground that they are not eligible for the same and even went to the extent of saying that these Paharis faked their identity in order to get the ST status to which they are not entitled for the same. If the government grants ST Status this will eaten the share of others community of ST.
Central government has constituted the board of panel in which distinguished officers headed the same and they were directed to submit the detailed report on the Paharis tribe status. In pursuant to the report of the board government go ahead with the process for granting ST Status to the Paharis. Sources said that the process of granting ST status apparently put under the carpet better we say the in the back burner reasons known best to the government as to why there taking place delay in granting the ST Status. Paharis voiced their concern and frustration over the inordinate delay in granting ST status and they opined that this further left us guessing as why the government keep the ST status under cold storage. With the granting of ST Status to Paharis this will helps their students in jobs recruitment meaning thereby students will not have to compete much what they used to compete if they have been granted ST status. Better we says in Jobs reservations this will be of beneficial to Paharis community. That is the reason they know the importance of this ST Status. More ironic is the fact that Paharis not staged any protests demonstration against the government for delaying in announcing the ST status. As the Amit Shah has scheduled his rally for tomorrow and he has already dwelt upon as what the core issues are to stressed and emphasize upon in the rally. Some of the political opponents rued that granting of ST status to Paharis is an oblique motive of the government to lure the Paharis for the vote bank politics and nothing else. So, wait for the rally outcome as what are the issues that will be highlight by the Amit Shah. Whether granting of ST status is also the part of the same. That will be come to know tomorrow. Till then wait and watch.
Author is practicing Lawyer at J&K, Ladakh High Court
