Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, Jan 3: Extending its outreach programme, Pahari Tribe ST Forum, a socio cultural organization for welfare of Pahari people, held day long Pahari Tribe convention at Moghla block of district Rajouri.
Several noted Pahari leaders and prominent personalities part in this convention and in one voice reiterated demand of due ST status to the Pahari ethnicity.
Speakers on this occasion deliberated upon their demand for Scheduled Tribe status and said that their genuine demand has unfortunately been ignored since decades and Pahari tribe is still waiting to get its genuine right of ST status.
They said that Pahari ethnicity constitute a tribe well mentioned by the Government of India with constitutional amendment and live in hilly, tough terrain of border area lacking the deficiency in all sectors and also are part of seasonal migration every year and fulfill all prerequisite to be given Schedule Tribe status.
The speakers hailed the concern shown by Government of India in recent times which clearly indicate that Pahari is set to get their basic right of Schedule Tribe status.
Interacting during the proceedings, the members of the ethnicity in one voice raised concerns of their down trodden condition and appealed GoI to furnish their due long pending demand of ST status.
“From time to time, different committees and expert panels declared Pahari tribe as the downtrodden ethnicity. Pertinent to mention since 1993 every Governor and Chief Minister of J&K has recommended due ST status to Pahari tribe,” they said.
The key note address was presented by Vikrant Sharma and the prominent, who spoke, included Qyum Mir (DDC Thanamandi), Rajesh Sharma (DDC Sunderbani), Arif Jatt (Chairman MC Rajouri), Bharat Bushan Vaid ( Vice Chairman MC Rajouri), Randheer Thakur, Sajjad Mirza, Vijay Koccher, Gurdev Thakur, Manir Mirza, Adv Haqnawaz Mirza, Ayub Pehalwan, Hamid Malik, Nikhil Gupta, Vishal Pahari, Parvez Khan, Rajesh Sharma, Rashpal Singh Malla, Rakesh Kumar, Udhay Singh, Kasturi Lal, Mohan Lal, Vijay Bazhal, Kewal Sharma, Gandharb Singh, Puran Singh, Pritam Sharma, Satpal Sharma, Jasbir Singh, Lekh Raj and many more.
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