Tribal body demands laws to empower its population in J-K

A body of Gujjar community in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday demanded laws to empower the tribal population, saying only job reservations to scheduled tribes would not end socio-political discrimination. “Only a legislation can empower them to raise their life on prototype of tribal communities of other states who are more empowered than the tribes of Jammu and Kashmir,” Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation said in a statement here.

The foundation, working for the welfare of Indian tribes with a special focus on Gujjar Tribe, claimed that Gujjars and Bakerwals were historically oppressed and denied equal opportunity in society. Gujjar leader Shamsher Hakla Poonchi appealed Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to introduce a bill in the coming budget session to reserve assembly seats for Gujjars and Bakarwals in the state.

“All the efforts made by government of India for the development and welfare of Gujjar and Bakarwal community have been deliberately obstructed by the state government for the past many decades which resulted in their utter political, social and economical backwardness,” he said.