*Erstwhile Doda district people demand ST status
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 7: In the aftermath of the Lok Sabha’s recent nod to the Bill encompassing Paharis in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list for Jammu and Kashmir, a demand has emerged from residents of erstwhile Doda, advocating for the coveted ST tag on account of their ethnic significance.
As this demand gains momentum, it becomes emblematic of a larger discourse on ethnic identity and representation within the region. Conversations surrounding the criteria for ST inclusion have been reignited, with residents of erstwhile Doda adding their voices to the ongoing discussions
The Pahari Core Committee in the region ina statement issued here today said. It strongly advocated for the inclusion of the Western Pahari belt, along with ethnic Kashmiri-speaking people, in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category.
Linguists in the area assert that if language and ethnicity serve as criteria for ST inclusion, the people of Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban qualify for inclusion in the category, further supporting the call for recognition.
Fozia Sadaket Malik, said that local languages such as Bhalessi, Bhaderwahi, Sarazi, Pogali, Kishtwari in the Chenab Valley region are Western Pahari languages besides ethnic Kashmiri. Farid Ahmed Naik, a local activist, advocated for granting ethnic Pahari status and reservation to the people in the Chenab region, considering it a backward area.
Eminent Pahari leaders hailing from erstwhile Doda, such as A M Bichoo, Abdul Khaliq, Nisar Gattoo, Advocate Ahtsham Batt, Sarshad Natnoo, Fiaz Ahmed Batt, Sanjay Bhartaya, Sanjay Parihar, and Ishtyaq Naik, have collectively voiced their apprehensions regarding the ongoing issue of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for erstwhile Doda.
The leaders argued that such recognition is not only crucial for preserving the cultural fabric of the region but also for unlocking the benefits and protections associated with the ST status.
Meanwhile, All J&K OBC Welfare Forum led by Ghulam Hassan Shergojri said the reservation quota for OBCs is a welcome step and he complimented Prime Minster, Narendra Modi led Union Government and Lt Governor Manoj Sinha led J&K administration.
He said the decision will pave way for welfare and upliftment of downtrodden pasmanda castes who have been neglectged and ignored for decades tighter by successive governments.
He said however change of nomenclature from OSC to OBC and reservation quota in Urban local bodies is not sufficient for the welfare and upliftment of OBCs in J&K and he strongly advocated fopr the long pending demand of 27 percent reservation to OBCs of J&K.
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