Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH, Feb 16: Shamsher Hakla Poonchi the prominent Gujjar leader and an intellectual today urged the Government of India (GoI) to establish Tribal Developmental Council in J&K with the financial and developmental power for the welfare of Gujjar Bakarwal Tribe.
In a statement issued here, he appealed to GoI to sanction special package for the permanent settlement of Nomadic Gujjar Bakarwals of J&K for providing basic facilities of life like road communication, electricity, water supply, medical and education in the areas that are inhabited by the community.
Hakla also appealed GoI for including Gojri language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India to ensure enrichment and spread of Gojri language which is being spoken by lakhs of people belonging to the community in J&K. Besides, he demanded reservation of Assembly segments and Lok Sabha segments in J&K for the Gujjar Bakarwal Tribe who have already been given Schedule Tribe status by GoI.
He said that J&K has 31 State Assembly and two Lok Sabha segments which are inhabited by Gujjars Bakarwals and these segments should be reserved for Gujjar Bakarwals. But due to indifferent attitude of the previous State Governments this Tribe stands deprived of the political reservation. Besides, a special recruitment drive be launched for educated unemployed Gujjar Bakarwal youth, he added.
Hakla urged the Government to conduct a special survey for finding the exact population of Gujjar Bakarwal Tribe in J&K and the same should be conducted during the Winter so that the exact population of this Tribe can be found. He also demanded starting of programme and the news bulletin in Gojri language on All India Radio and Doordarshan, New Delhi.
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