Gujjars accuse Pahari organizations for misinformation camping against them

The Gujjars of Jammu and Kashmir have today strongly objected over the misinformation camping launched against them by some self styled Organizations of Pahari speaking people including J&K Pahari Cultural and Welfare Forum(PCWF) -an organization run by non-Gujjar politicians of Poonch and Rajouri districts. Accusing the Pahari organizations the nomadic Gujjars community today said that they will give a befitting reply to this misinformation camping . The community today initiating a first step today appealed the government to ban all these organizations and destroy all the published provocative Material against Gujjars published by these anti tribal organizations keeping in view the resultant confrontation between Gujjars and Pahari Speaking People of the State. If government fails to do so against Pahari organizations the Gujjars will go for a befitting reply in shape of published book to counter the false and baseless propaganda against Gujjars, the community leaders said. The community through Jammu and Kashmir Gujjar and Bakerwal Joint Forum , a frontal organization of tribals has also demanded to initiate criminal proceedings against those Pahari organizations including their leaders who are bent upon to create a situation of heartedness among both communities residing in border belts of State. The distributors of the provocative anti Gujjar booklets which has been published by PCWF and Jammu & Kashmir Pahari People’s Movement (PPM) with a motive to marginalized the Gujjars . Haji Shamsher Ali Boken State President of JKGBJF described the statement of Jammu & Kashmir Pahari People’s Movement (PPM) regarding Gujjars published in a section of press unreasonable , illogical, self made, politically motivated and having selfish ends. He however said we will oppose the demand of giving ST Status to Pahari speaking peoples who are not a “tribal entity”. He said we had already warned both State and Centre governments against any such move aimed at to dilute the Tribal status of nomadic communities by entering a “linguistic group” into “Tribal amalgam”. Boken said Pahari speaking people are not a defined class of society. They were neither defined as a weaker section and nor they approached before the Gajendragadkar Commission, the Sikri Commission, the Wazir Commission (1969), the Anand Commission (1976) and the Mandal Commission which covered the entire country. All these commissions, from time to time, identified the Other Bakward Classes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Areas and none of them recognized any group as Pahari or Pahari speaking people as weaker section of the society. He said such type of provocation will definitely resulted in miss understanding and confrontations in Gujjar Pahari Belt. He, however, urged the Gujjar community to remain calm over grave provocation by the PCWF.