Rajouri, May 17: Supporting Scheduled Tribe status for the state’s Pahari speaking people, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Monday said any such move, however, will not be at the cost of Gujjars and Bakerwals.
“The state government is vigorously pursuing with New Delhi the issue of grant of ST status to Pahari speaking people,” Chief Minister said while speaking at a Pahari Conference here.
“We will get it through sooner or later,” he said and added that he will invite the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi to Rajouri to announce the historic decision.
Omar said some elements want to create differences between Paharis, Gujjars and Bakerwals on the issue.  “While making efforts to seek ST status for Pahari speaking people, the government is committed to safeguard the interests of Gujjars and Bakerwals”, he said. “Pahari abadi ko unka haq dilate huae hum Gujjaron aur Bakwerwalon ki thali mein chaid naheen 
karna chahte hain. (By providing ST status to Paharis, we do not want to hurt the interests of Gujjars and Bakerwals),” he said.
Omar said that if the Pahari people are granted ST status, they will get separate share in reservations and it will be in addition to the quota already allotted to the Gujjars of the state. “I have told again and again that if the Pahari people are granted ST status, there will be no reduction from the share of the Gujjars in reservations. But unfortunately some vested interests have created a sense of insecurity among the Gujjars that Paharis would be accommodated within their share in reservations, which is not true”, he said.
Referring to an advertisement published by some Gujjar organizations in some newspapers opposing grant of ST status to the Pahari speaking people, the Chief Minister said; “I am unable to understand why some people opposing ST status for the Pahari people of the state, favour the same status for the Gujjars of Rajasthan.”
Earlier, speaking on the occasion, Social Welfare Minister Sakina Ittoo said the genuine demand of the Pahari people for ST status already stands recommended by the successive chief ministers apart from the separate recommendation made by the erstwhile governor of the state K V Krishna Roa to the central government. “Being the social welfare minister, I have seen all the records available with the government in this regard and found that Pahari speaking people deserve to be included in the list of ST community,” she said.
Addressing the Conference, the Pradesh Congress Committee president, Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz while favouring ST status for the Pahari speaking people said the doubts and apprehensions of the Gujjar community in this regard must be clarified. Soz said he will personally talk to them in this regard.
“Gujjars and Bakerwals enjoy ST status and this is their right. Similarly, Pahari people have the right to seek ST status”, he said and called for unity and amity between all sections of the society.
Pertinent to mention that Pahari speaking people of the state have been demanding ST status since long. However, the same is being opposed by the Gujjar organizations with the apprehension that the Pahari community would be accommodated within the share of Gujjars in reservations. The issue has created deep wedge between the two communities in the border region of Poonch and Rajouri.
The Conference was also addressed by the Vice-Chairman, Pahari Board, Mushtaq Ahmad Bukhari, Member Parliament, Madan Lal Sharma and Minister of State for Power, Shabir Ahmad Khan.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 17 May 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 17 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 18 May 2010 00:00:00 IST