Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 30: A deputation of Jat Kalyan Sabha, led by its president Ch Kamal Singh, called on Chairman State Commission for Backward Classes, Jeet Lal Gupta, and submitted him a memorandum seeking inclusion of the community in OBC list.
The Sabha appraised the Chairman about the plights of the community, which has lagged behind in all spheres of life, social and educational in particular. Jats, who are primarily a farming community are serving the nation by producing food grains and other agriculture produce besides guarding the vulnerable borders as true soldiers, the memorandum said.
The memorandum further explained that the Jats are residing in interior rural villages and Indo-Pak border from Doulian Jattan Kathua to Mendhar, Poonch and along Uri Border in Baramulla District. “It is not out of place to mention here the land which used to be their main source of livelihood has gone negligible due to its repeated division and most of the land has been acquired by the Government for border fencing and now these people have to seek labour in commercial mandies for their livelihood,” claimed the delegation.
As per the memorandum, the community is also engaged in rearing of buffaloes, cows, sheep, goats just like Gujjar-Bakkerwals and are treated backward socially by other elite communities and not allowed to share Hukka Pani. “They have suffered a lot due to frequent migration during Indo-Pak wars of 1947, 1965, 1971 and 1999 conflict and Pak firing while the education of their children has suffered a lot and dropout rate of their children is more than 95 percent. There is no lAS, IPS, IRS, IFS officer of the community in the State and their share in Government services is less than 1 percent. The community has lagged behind of all other communities in educational and social spheres,” reads the memorandum and pointed out that Jats of all other States of India have been granted OBC inspite of the fact they are better of as compared to the Jats of Jammu & Kashmir.
The Chairman SCBC, Jeet Lal Gupta, who was accompanied by Prof Varinder Gupta and Onkar Seth, Members of the Commission, gave a patient hearing to the deputation and assured that their genuine demand will be fulfilled shortly.
The delegation comprised of Dr G L Choudhary, S Manjit Singh, Ch Ram Paul, Ch Sudagar and others.
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