New Delhi, Aug 5: Pahari leaders of J&K met Union Home Minister at New Delhi. The delegation included BJP J&K General Secretary and former MLC Vibodh Gupta, former Minister Mushtaq Bukhari, Mohd Iqbal Malik, Mohd Rafiq Chushti, Ex MLC Sayeed Rafiq Shah, DDC Qayoom Mir, DDC Sohail Malik Raja Waqar Asif, Khurshid Ahmed Mir, Advocate Ahsan Mira, Gurdev Thakur, Sayeed Altaf and Ashiq Rafiq Mangral.
The leaders of Pahari community met the union Home Minister at his office inside the Parliament House today. In this meeting a representation related to the various demands of the Pahari Tribe was also presented to the Union Home Minister.
During this meeting, Vibodh Gupta informed the Home Minister that Pahari Tribe represents a sizeable population of 12 Lakhs in Jammu & Kashmir. This tribe he said is struggling from the past many decades for the grant of ST status at par with ST status granted to Gujjars, Bakkerwals and Gaddis residing in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Highlighting the plight of the Pahari Tribe, Pahari Leaders said that being close to LOC this community has been worst hit due to partition, two wars and terrorism in the past. They thanked Amit Shah and central Government for providing 4% reservation to the Pahari tribe and for recognising the plight of Paharis. Today Pahari Tribe has huge expectations from the central leadership specially from PM Modi and Amit Shah, they added.
While reacting to the demands of Pahari Tribal leaders, the Home Minister assured them that all the genuine demands and concerns of the Pahari Tribal Community will be taken care of. Shah said that the Pahari Tribal Community living in district Rajouri, Poonch, Uri, Keran and Keranah Pehalga, Shopian have already suffered in last 70 years and this time Modi government will do justice with them.
He further said that the Modi Government is fully aware about the genuine issues of the Pahari Tribe and also recognises the great sacrifices made by this patriotic community for the sake of the country. He also assured the Pahari leaders that “Sab Ka Sath Sabka Vikas” is the Mission of the Modi government and we will follow this in letter and spirit and Pahari Tribal Community will be given justice.
On this occasion, Amit Shah strongly emphasized that the whole country loves Jammu and Kashmir and called upon the Pahari leaders to work in a mission mode for making a strong and vibrant new Jammu and Kashmir in line with the vision and mission of PM Modi.
