SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday clarified that the existing ST communities including Gujjar and Bakerwals will continue to get their 10 percent reservation and will have no impact on their jobs and employment.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said that Pahari Ethnic and other tribes who are being extended reservation under Scheduled Tribe (ST) category will entirely be a separate block and this will in no way dilute the reservation of existing STs including Gujjars and Bakerwals even as he charged certain political parties with trying to mislead the people on the issue.
He, however, said that the newly added tribes in the ST category will get all benefits like reservation in Government jobs, educational institutions, welfare schemes and political reservations.
Sinha termed the move as a historic step for inclusive development aimed at empowering and transforming tribals . He said Communities getting benefits of ST reservations include Balti, Beda, Bot, Boto, Brokpa, Drokpa, Dard, Shin, Changpa, Garra , Mon, Purigpa, Gujjar, Bakarwal, Gaddi and Sippi.
He said after the reservation bill was passed, additional communities including Pahari ethnic group, Paddari tribe, Koli Gadda Brahmin will get benefits of ST reservation based on SEBC Commission and theire recommendations.
LT Governor stated that additional and proportionate reservation will be provided separately for the new communities added in the list. “Existing communities including Gujjar Bakerwal will continue to get the 10 percent reservation and there will be no reduction in it,” he clarified.
“There will be absolutely no cut in reservations of Gujjars and Bakerwals. A new Sub Group will be created for reservations to newly added groups,” the Lieutenant Governor said and added that certain political parties which have done nothing for Gujjars and Bakerwals when they were in power during last 70 years are instigating the tribes for political considerations.
Calling upon the Gujjars and Bakerwals not to get misled, he said their interests have been fully taken care of and protected by the Government.
“I can say this with full responsibility that there will not be even 0.01 percent cut in the reservations being enjoyed by Gujjars, Bakerwals and rest of the tribes. Even there will be no competition among the two Sub Groups. Reservations for both the Groups will be separate,” Jammu based newspaper Excelsior quoted Sinha as saying.
Asserting that there was no confusion among the tribes on reservations, he said the political leaders with vested interests are trying to create confusion as during their rule they did nothing for welfare for either the existing tribes or for Paharis and others.
He said the Paharis for long had been struggling for ST status and Prime Minister Narendra Modi fulfilled their demand. Some political parties gave mere assurances not only to Paharis but Gujjars and Bakerwals also and kept playing the politics of “divide and rule”. The tribes should look into vested interests of political parties and shouldn’t fall into their trap, he added.
