Paharis to launch agitation for ST status, reservation

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 30: Stating that aspirations and sentiments of Pahari community have been injured by State Governor sending reservation bill for review again, Pahari speaking people to announced to launch a State wide agitation against alleged conspiracy of depriving the community from its due right.
A unanimous decision in this regard was taken during a session, organized by Sayed Sarfraz Hussain Shah, president of the University Pahari Student
The session was presided over by Balbir Kumar while chief executive KPPM, Shahbaz Khan was special invitee on the occasion.  Representatives of Pahari students, employees and Pahari movement attended the session.
Mohd Atif,  Sahil Kumar,  Karn Kumar,  Bomeet Singh,  Mohd Umer,  Mohd Amir, S A Mughal. Shahid. A Q Khan,  Shakeel and Haji M Aslam, while speaking  on the occasion, demanded scraping of undue illegal ST status to settled and creamy layer community since 1991.
Shahbaz Khan said it was very unfortunate that that the Governor did not give his consent to the Pahari Reservation Bill, which was passed by both the Houses.  The Pahari speaking community is socially, educationally and economically backward and has least representation in administration of the State, he said.
Claiming that Paharis were living just like Gujjars or the nomadic Bakerwals or shepherds while their children study in the same schools and all of them face the similar hardships in daily life, Shahbaz Khan lamented that other two communities enjoy the benefits of the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status while the Paharis have been denied the same despite the fact that social and economic condition of the Paharies is most miserable.
Later, a unanimous decision was taken during the session for starting a state wide agitation for reservation and ST status to the Pahari speaking people.