The protest campaign of Gujjars and Bakerwals against the Centre’s decision to include Paharis in the Schedule Caste (SC) list is gaining momentum in J&K, with these communities planning to boycott the visit of Union Tribal Minister Arjun Munda this month.
“A boycott call was announced today [Wednesday] by the All J&K Gujjar Bakerwal Co-ordination Committee (AJKGBCC), a body of ST communities, to register their protest against grant of ST status to Pahari-speaking people who belong to upper castes of society,” Anwar Chowdhary, convenor of the committee, said in Jammu.
Union Tribal Minister Arjun Munda is likely to visit Udhampur on November 17-18.
The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) had given go-ahead to the inclusion of Pahari ethnic people, a linguistic minority of J&K, along with ‘Paddari tribe’, ‘Kolis’ and ‘Gadda Brahmans’ in the ST list. Paharis, unlike Gujjars and Bakerwals who are Muslims, comprise a mixed population of both Hindus and Muslims.
“Massive protests will be held in all the tribal localities on both days of the Tribal Minister’s visit to oppose the granting of ST status to mainstream society under the garb of ‘Pahari-speaking’ people, who have now been labelled ‘Pahari ethnic’ people,” Mr. Chowdhary said.
The tribal leaders of Gujjars and Bakerwals have asked the ST communities “to wear black badges, put up black flags on their houses and share the photos and reels on social media handles” during the Union Minister’s visit.
The tribal leaders said Pahari people belong to affluent classes of the society. “They are socially upper classes, economically well-off people with a literacy rate that is above the average in U.T. of J&K,” they said.
If these groups comprising of more than 60 castes come under the ambit of ST, they will elbow out the genuine tribes from the competition, who are the weaker sections facing poverty, illiteracy, and social discrimination, they added.
They accused the NCST, which recently cleared the grant of ST status to Paharis, of “not conducting any field survey or having a research data”.
“The ST communities’ youth activists should hold peaceful protests to defend our tribal identity and to stop dilution of the ST status. We are not against any person or community,” they added.
In Kashmir, two Gujjar youth leaders, Talib Hussain and Guftar Ahmed, held street protests for the fifth consecutive day on Wednesday as they marched through different districts of the Valley against the Centre’s move.
“The Centre’s move is an assault on a community that is historically marginalised. Some of us were able to get education and jobs because of reservation. Including upper castes in ST category will snatch our rights,” Mr. Guftar said.
These youth leaders also plan to hold a 500-km street march. “Brahmins and Syeds are upper castes among Hindus and Muslims respectively. How could they be included in the ST list under the Pahari ethnic group?” Mr. Hussain asked.
Gujjars and Bakerwals, whose population is around 14 lakh, mainly inhabit the Pir Panjal valley’s Rajouri and Poonch districts.
