The Hindu : Muslim communities holding protest rallies in J&K

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 01, 2004

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Muslim communities holding protest rallies in J&K

By Our Staff Reporter

Jammu, Feb. 29. Two Muslim communities of Jammu and Kashmir — Gujjars and Paharis— are holding protest rallies against each other. The Gujjars are protesting against the Mufti Government's decision to recommend tribal status to the Pahari community.

These communities are present in the border areas of the Jammu region. While the Pahari population is well settled, the Gujjars lead a nomadic life.

The Gujjars organised rallies questioning the Pahari community's Schedule Tribe status. The Gujjars were accorded the tribal status when Chandra Shekhar was the Prime Minister. The Paharis have demanded the status, saying their socio-economic condition was the same as that of the Gujjars.

Speaking to newspersons, the National Conference MLA and a Gujjar, Javid Rana, said this was unjust, as the Pahari community cannot claim to be socio-economically backward.

"The granting of Schedule Tribe status to them would reduce our share in the reserved category."

Refuting the statement, another legislator and a Pahari leader, Mushtaq Bukhari, said: "The Schedule Tribe status is our right and cannot be taken away. We are a socio-economically deprived group and let the experts decide the issue."

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