Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Nov 25: The tug of war between politically hostile Gujjars and Pahari Speaking people in Jammu and Kashmir is putting brakes on an ambitious Cultural Centre for both the communities in the State notwithstanding sanctioning of the same by Government of India.
Even after more than three years since it was sanctioned by the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, the fate of much awaited Cultural Centre for Gujjar-Bakerwals and Pahari Speaking People is still engulfed in controversies with zero progress on the project.
Owing to political animosity between the two communities, the State Government is in doldrums over commencing the project for which Rs 13 crore were sanctioned by the Government of Indian in 2010 and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah personally convened meetings to sort out the issue.
While the State Government as well as Pahari Speaking People is in favour of a common Cultural Centre for both the communities, Gujjar leaders are deadly against this idea on political reasons.
A common Cultural Centre would help the Pahari Speaking People to project their case of equal treatment at par with tribal Gujjars, said a Gujjar leader while pointing towards the Paharis’ demand for Schedule Tribes status.
Pertinent to mention that both the communities are at loggerhead over the demand of Pahari Speaking People for a tribal status like Gujjar-Bakerwals in the Jammu and Kashmir. While all the major political parties in J&K are supporting the demand of Pahari Speaking People, Gujjar leaders are vociferously opposing the same on the ground that tribal status can not accorded on linguistic basis.
“Gujjars are not against any community but we can’t allow anyone to erode the ST status and snatch our share,” said Bashir Ahmed Naaz, Vice-Chairman of the Gujjar-Bakerwal Welfare Advisory Board.
Claiming that the Cultural Centre and funds for the same were sanctioned by the Government of India for Gujjar-Bakerwals only, he stressed that the State Government and its Social Welfare Department should first clarify the confusion in this regard. “We have apprehensions that the Pahari Speaking People were included in the Cultural Centre project by some mischievous elements in the Civil Secretariat here for giving undue benefit to this community,” he alleged.
“Since Centre never sanctions funds for Pahari Speaking People, who are provided money for the welfare from State Plan, we don’t’ believe that Government of India would have sanctioned a common Cultural Centre for both the communities,” Mr Naaz explained.
However, on the other hand, former Vice-Chairman of the Welfare Board for Pahari Speaking People, Mushtaq Bukhari said that the Cultural Centre has been sanctioned for Pahari Speaking People as well as Gujjar-Bakerwals.
“Not only the Pahari Speaking People but even the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah were keen for a common Cultural Centre for both the communities, which have been living together since centuries and share common heritage and culture,” he added.
Keeping in view the opposition by some people, “we have even agreed for separate Cultural Centre but my friends in the Gujjar community are still not satisfied and thus un-necessarily delaying the project,” he rued.
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