Introduced in July but not taken up in two sessions
*Will boost BJP’s prospects in Anantnag-Poonch seat
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 18: After missing two consecutive Parliament sessions last year, much awaited bill granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to Pahari Kabila, Paddari tribe and Koli & Gadda Brahmins is likely to be taken up for consideration and passing in last session of 17th Lok Sabha starting January 31 and scheduled to conclude on February 9 which could brighten prospects of the BJP on Anantnag-Poonch-Rajouri Parliamentary constituency.
It was introduced in Lok Sabha in Monsoon session of the Parliament in July last year along with two other bills for nomination of two Kashmiri Pandits and one Pakistan occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) refugee in the UT Assembly and grant of reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Government jobs and educational institutions in Jammu and Kashmir. Last two bills were passed by the Parliament in its winter session in December while the ST status bill was not taken up.
As per the officials, the bill is likely to be taken up for consideration and passing in last Parliament session of the present Government starting January 31. It will be a brief session with Central Government taking Vote-on-Account and will conclude on February 9.
Both Central as well as J&K Governments have repeatedly made it clear that reservation of Gujjars and Bakerwals will not be affected while extending ST status to Paharis. Paharis are mostly settled in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region and Baramulla and Kupwara districts in Kashmir division.
Paddari tribe is settled mainly in Paddar area of Kishtwar district which is one of the remotest areas in erstwhile Doda region while Koli & Gadda Brahmans are spread in different areas but their population is very small.
Sources expressed confidence that the bill to amend Reservation Act in Parliament to grant ST status to Pahari Ethnic Tribe (Pahari Kabila), Paddari Tribe and Koli & Gadda Brahman could come up during last session of 17th Lok Sabha.
“The Parliament has to take final call on grant of Scheduled Tribe status. However, since the BJP, which is pushing for ST status to Paharis and others enjoy majority in the Parliament, there will not be much problems for the Government to get the bill through,” they pointed out.
There are a total of around 750 Castes categorized as Scheduled Tribes across the country.
According to political observers, the grant of ST status to Paharis could boost the BJP prospects in Anantnag-Poonch-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat as this constituency has large population of Paharis. The BJP has been eyeing this seat besides Jammu and Udhampur which it won for two consecutive terms in 2014 and 2019.
During his visit to Jammu and Kashmir from October 3-5, 2022, Union Minister for Home and Cooperation Amit Shah had announced that recommendations of Justice GD Sharma Panel have been received by the Government and that Gujjars, Bakerwals and Paharis will get the benefits but rights of no one will be diluted.
The STs have 10 percent reservations in Jammu and Kashmir. Nine seats in 90-member Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir have been reserved for the STs. Five seats are reserved for STs in Jammu division and four in Kashmir.
The STs enjoyed reservation in jobs, education etc, but they were denied political reservations in Jammu and Kashmir for a long time though such a reservation existed in Lok Sabha and Assemblies across the country. This was, however, after abrogation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019 that the Government extended political reservations to STs in J&K.
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