Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH, May 5: Shahbaz Khan, chief executive J&K Pahari People Movement (JKPPM) and veteran Pahari leader Naseeb Singh have warned befitting reply if some Gujjar leaders continue to oppose ST status to Pahari speaking people.
Gujjars, who are enjoying ST status, are not nomads but settled community and we have sufficient proofs even to contest in the apex court, they said in a statement and termed Bakerwals as real nomads.
They also appealed to the secular and prominent Gujjar leaders to come forward and defeat the nefarious design of those elements who are creating gap between both the communities.
Shahbaz Khan claimed that Pahari people are the tribal in nature which is evident from the fact that the community was at number one among the seven tribes, recommended for ST status 25 years ago. However, he alleged, some Gujjar leaders used their influence in New Delhi and got the ST status but the Pahari speaking people are still struggling for the same.
Follow our WhatsApp channel