Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 24: Maintaining that only reservation can provide uniformity and equality among all the castes, tribes and area of the State, the Tribal Gujjar community scholars today said that those who are opposing the concept of quota granted by the Constitution of India are actually opposing the egalitarianism in the society.
They were speaking at a function organized by Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation, to discuss ‘Tribal Reservation issues”. The scholar pleaded that the State Government and civil society should think optimistically towards the issues of ‘Reservation’.
Dr Javaid Rahi, secretary – Tribal Foundation, in his presidential address, stated that the ‘Reservation’ granted to identified weaker castes, area and tribes in the State or country is based on the percentage of them in the total population and is not an aid or charity. There is a dearth of positive mindset towards quota issues he said and added that reserve category people are not snatching the rights of general category people as assumed.
He said that the basic concept of reservation was to provide representation to identified weaker class, caste, area or a tribe which fall under a category to mitigate backwardness of the socially and educationally backward communities.
The other speakers stated that as against 12.9 percent ST population in J&K, the Gujjars and Bakerwals and other tribes were getting only 10 percent quota. Though the Gujjars-Bakerwals are historically oppressed and denied equal opportunity in society thus they remained un-represented in nation-building activities but now it’s a time to prove our-selves as a forceful and vibrant identity of India, they added.
Those who spoke on the occasion, includes Dr S S Chouhan, Wariz, Mohammad Banya, Shabnum Rafeeq Bajran, Ali Hussain Khatana, Bashir Bajad, Haneef Lodha and others.
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