Straight Line News Report
Jammu, May 23: On completion of 29 years of scheduled tribe status granted to Gujjars-Bakerwals of Jammu and Kashmir by Govt of India, community scholar and founder of Tribal research & Cultural Foundation Dr. Javaid Rahi today stated that the community had seen drastic changes after enlisted in Constitution of India as tribal on 19th April 1991.
But a lot more efforts are needed to bring them at par with other communities of Union Territory, he said. In an appeal to the tribal community, Dr Rahi said that the new laws extended to Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir through Act of the Parliament passed on 5th August 2019 and other orders issued from time to time are highly beneficial for them but for optimum advantage of tribal schemes, laws and programs they have to get education first.
He said only education can change the fate and future and end all sought of discrimination and injustice being faced by the community due to illiteracy and poverty. On entering into 30years of Reservation under tribal category he stated that the Gujjars and Bakerwals are facing tremendous challenges in competitions due to the low literacy rate in comparison with other tribes of Jammu and Kashmir and the country and asked tribal youth to get quality education in all the fields.
He said sustainable, voluntary, affordable and inclusive education program are required for tribal elders and for nomadic groups as well keeping in view the migratory way of life , that will help weaker sections to get benefits of reservation under ST. He said that this is a matter of grave concern that every 7 out of 10 Gujjars /and Bakerwals of Jammu and Kashmir are illiterate as per census data 2011 added that condition of women of these tribal groups are worst with 82.2% illiteracy as revealed in data released by Registrar General of India in the census report.
He said that extreme poverty, rough and tough life, early marriage system and nomadic traditions are also causing dark shadows over the education of lakhs of nomadic Gujjar and Bakerwal children residing in the most backward, hilly and border areas of Jammu & Kashmir .
He said, optimistically speaking, it is only due to tribal status that the community youths have recorded considerable progress in all the field of life’. During the last 29 years of reservation, the J&K Gujjars-Bakerwals have produced 12 IAS/IPS, around 120 KAS/KPS officers but a lot of efforts are required to boost the community educationally, socially, economically and culturally,” he said.
