Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH, Dec 17: Shamsher Hakla Poonchi the prominent Muslim Gujjar leader and an intellectual has appealed Government of India to establish Tribal Developmental Council in J&K with the financial and developmental power for development and welfare of Gujjar Bakarwal Tribe.
Addressing a meeting of his community members here today he further urged Government of India to sanction special package for the permanent settlement of nomadic Gujjar Bakarwals of J&K, establishment of Tribal University in Jammu and Kashmir for all the Gujjar Bakarwal students, providing of basic facilities of life like road communication, electricity, water supply schemes, medical facilities and educational facilities in the areas that are inhabited by Gujjars Bakarwals in J&K.
He also demanded establishment of Boarding Schools on the pattern of Navodya Vidyalaya for Gujjar Bakarwal boys and girls in all 20 districts of J&K, inclusion of Gojri language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India which is being spoken by a very large number population of Gujjars -Bakarwals of Jammu & Kashmir whose number is in lakhs, reservation of the Assembly segments and Lok Sabha segments in J&K for the Gujjar Bakarwal tribe as in J&K there are 31 State Assembly and two Lok Sabha segments inhabited by Gujjars Bakarwals.
Hakla demanded a special recruitment drive for educated unemployed Gujjar Bakarwal youth of J&K, conducting of a special survey for finding the exact population of Gujjar Bakarwal Tribe in J&K and starting of programme and the news bulletin in Gojri language on All India Radio, New Delhi and Doordarshan, New Delhi.