New Delhi: The Narendra Modi authorities has dangled the carrot of reservation in entrance of the Paharis in Jammu and Kashmir (J&Ok), a lot to the bewilderment of the Gujjars and the Bakerwals who’re fearful about dilution of the Scheduled Tribe (ST) quota.
Whereas asserting the reservation profit for the Pahadis in Rajouri on October 4, Union Residence Minister Amit Shah additionally assured the Gujjars and the Bakerwals that there could be no tinkering of their share of ST quota.
If their lengthy standing demand is met, the Paharis will likely be eligible for jobs and academic establishments beneath the ST quota which stands at 10 per cent in J&Ok.
The Paharis together with the Gujjars and the Bakerwals are a vital consider eight meeting seats in Rajouri and Poonch districts within the Pir Panjal belt. These seats maintain significance for any political social gathering aspiring to kind the federal government in J&Ok the place elections are prone to be held in direction of this finish of 12 months or early subsequent 12 months.
The Jammu area has 43 seats, six extra after the delimitation train, whereas Kashmir has 47. 9 seats — 6 in Jammu and three in Kashmir — are reserved for STs. With little presence in Kashmir, the Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP) will look to win most seats from Jammu if it needs to kind a authorities with different events, particularly after its three-year expertise with the Peoples Democratic Celebration (PDP) that resulted in June 2018.
Whereas the BJP stays the dominant social gathering in Jammu, different events even have a big assist base. Within the 2020 District Improvement Council (DDC) polls, the final elections in J&Ok, the Gupkar allies received 110 seats (84 in Kashmir, 26 in Jammu), the BJP 75 (72 in Jammu, 3 in Kashmir), the Congress 26 (17 in Jammu, 9 in Kashmir) and the J&Ok Apni Celebration 12. The Unbiased candidates received practically 50 seats.
Historically, the Rajouri-Poonch belt has been a Nationwide Convention (NC) stronghold. Nevertheless, within the 2014 J&Ok polls, the competition turned open with all main events successful seats within the belt. Of the seven seats in Rajouri- Poonch area, the BJP received 2, the PDP 3, the Congress and the NC one every.
Equally, the NC and the Congress received 7 every, the BJP 3 and the PDP 1 within the DDC ballot. The remaining 9 of the overall 28 seats in Jammu went to Independents.
The Centre’s promise of reservation for the Paharis, who comprise 8 per cent of the J&Ok inhabitants, ought to be seen on this context.
There are practically 10.2 lakh Paharis in J&Ok, in accordance with the State Advisory Board for Improvement of Pahari Talking Individuals, based mostly on the 2011 Census. Paharis account for six.25 lakh inhabitants of Poonch and Rajouri districts; the Gujjars and Bakarwals quantity about round 11 lakh. Whereas 35 per cent of the Gujjar-Bakarwal inhabitants stay in Rajouri-Poonch belt, the remaining are unfold throughout the erstwhile state of J&Ok.
The nomadic tribes of Gujjar and Bakarwal, who comply with Islam, have been declared as Scheduled Tribes in 1991.
Amongst the 2 tribes, Bakarwals are extra economically marginalised, mentioned a former professor of political science at Jammu College. Although numerous Gujjars are backward too, some have been uplifted after the reservation quota, the professor added.
The Paharis comprise each Muslims and Hindus with the latter estimated to be marginally higher when it comes to their numerical power.
After amendments to the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Guidelines in 2020, the Pahari group got 4 per cent reservation in authorities jobs and admissions in instructional establishments.
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Nothing however jumla, says opposition
Pahari political leaders informed ThePrint that they have been anticipating the ST quota to be raised in J&Ok as Shah has mentioned that the share of Gujjar-Bakarwal quota received’t be diluted.
Earlier than asserting reservation for the Paharis, the Centre had nominated Ghulam Ali Khatana, a Gujjar BJP chief, to the Rajya Sabha in September.
“We now have given rights to Gujjar-Bakkar, we are going to give rights to Paharis as nicely. Within the upcoming elections in Jammu & Kashmir, all eight seats within the Rajouri-Poonch belt will go to the BJP. That’s why different events are involved,” BJP state basic secretary Vibodh Gupta, a Pahari, informed ThePrint.
The BJP is assured to get votes of those tribes after Shah’s announcement, he added.
In 2014, the BJP received all of its 25 seats in Jammu to emerge the second largest social gathering after the PDP which clinched 28. The BJP additionally received from Nowshera and Kalakote within the Poonch-Rajouri belt for the primary time.
Former Congress MLC Ravinder Sharma, a Pahari, informed ThePrint that the social gathering doesn’t oppose the Pahari reservation however added that the house minister’s speech has “not glad the Paharis”.
“Paharis are skeptical as a result of they aren’t certain if the executive course of [that Shah mentioned in the rally for quota] will likely be accomplished,” he added. “Reservation to the Paharis was first really useful to the Centre by the NC-Congress authorities in 1989 after which by different governments.”
However the BJP claimed that the Congress and the Nationwide Convention had solely exploited the three communities within the area. “The Congress [at the centre] was not prepared to simply accept the calls for, and the Nationwide Convention didn’t say a phrase. The NC-Congress have been exploiting Gujjar-Bakarwal and Paharis,” BJP’s Vibodh Gupta mentioned.
Regional events, together with the NC, the PDP and the newly shaped Democratic Azad Celebration, have additionally questioned the character of guarantees made by Shah.
“There was no announcement [on expected lines]. They’ve given no assure or any particular time. That is one in all his [Amit Shah] jumlas,” Democratic Azad Celebration treasurer Taj Moinuddin informed ThePrint. “I’ll welcome the Pahari reservation however there ought to be no jumlebaazi,” the Gujjar chief added.
Veteran Gujjar chief Mian Altaf of the Nationwide Convention was upfront about his group’s sentiment. “Whether or not they give reservation to Paharis or not, that doesn’t matter to us. We solely need our reservation to remain intact,” he informed ThePrint.
The PDP has accused the BJP of making an attempt to divide the communities in Jammu. “First, they pitted Hindus towards Muslims and now they need the Gujjars and Paharis to struggle with one another,” PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti has mentioned.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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