ST reservation for Pahari Ethnic Group, how Kashmir centric leaders deliberately exploited them

Though Central Home Ministry is yet to notify the inclusion of Pahari Ethnic Group in the Scheduled Tribes list of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir but the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has already cleared the way for it’s inclusion and a tweet of Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh has almost confirmed it.

The Pahari ethnic group in J&K that includes both Hindus and Muslims, was approved for incorporation on the ST list along with the “Paddari tribe,” “Kolis,” and “Gadda Brahmans” by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST).

The Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes, led by Justice GD Sharma (retd), had recommended reservation to Pahari, Paddari and Koli as well as Gadda Brahman. With a population of approximately 12 lakh, they prominently reside in the Pir-Panjal region of J&K.

Pertains to mention here that Pahari people have been seeking ST reservation for more than forty years to bring them at par with the members of Gujjars and Bakkerwal communities but successive Kashmir centric governments kept using them only for own political benefits but never paid heed to their genuine demands since most of the Pahari's are mountain dwellers and come from far flung areas and due to these geographical factors, they are cut off from the mainstream society so they carry a primitive lifestyle. Pahari people have lived close to Line of Control (LoC) and this community has been worst hit due to the partition, cross border firing, two wars and terrorism in the past.

Gujjars and Bakerwals communities were getting ST benefits since 1991 whereas Paharis were given a four percent quota in OBC category from January 2020 only after the abrogation of discriminatory Article 370 from J&K. STs were granted 10 percent reservation in the Legislative Assembly of J&K for the first time. Nine seats have been reserved for the STs in J&K whereas seven seats are reserved for the SCs.

NC Chief Patron Farooq Abdullah was heard saying in a leaked video that no central government would ever include Pahari people in the ST list of J&K at the cost of other communities such as Gujjars and Bakkerwals, which is a testimony of his biased approach towards the Pahari Tribe.

Members of Pahari community have been exploited by the politicians for more than forty years. They were used as vote banks and dumped later. In the year 1989, the then government of the erstwhile state of J&K had sent a proposal of various tribes and communities to the Union Home Ministry to include them in the Scheduled Tribes category list but successive governments deliberately excluded them from the list.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his rally in Rajouri on October 4 had promised the Pahari's that his government is sincerely working to implement Justice GD Sharma Commission’s recommendations for their community while taking a swipe at Congress, National Conference (NC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who only deprived Gujjars, Bakkerwals and Pahari’s from their rights since 1947.

Now, their inclusion will enable the members of the community to derive benefits meant for ST’s under the existing schemes of the government. The ST quota provides 10 percent reservation in educational institutions and government jobs. Some of the major benefits include post-matric scholarships, national fellowship besides educational concessional loans from the National Scheduled Tribals Finance and Development Corporation and hostel for students.

They will also be entitled to benefits of reservation in services and admission to educational institutions as per the government policy.