Paharis in ST list: Gujjars, Bakerwals to boycott Union Tribal Minister’s J&K visit in protest 

Community leaders say inclusion of Paharis will result in genuine weaker sections missing out on benefits

The protest campaign of Gujjars and Bakerwals against the Centre’s decision to include Paharis in the Schedule Caste (SC) list is gaining momentum in J&K, with these communities planning to boycott the visit of Union Tribal Minister Arjun Munda this month.

“A boycott call was announced today [Wednesday] by the All J&K Gujjar Bakerwal Co-ordination Committee (AJKGBCC), a body of ST communities, to register their protest against grant of ST status to Pahari-speaking people who belong to upper castes of society,” Anwar Chowdhary, convenor of the committee, said in Jammu.

Union Tribal Minister Arjun Munda is likely to visit Udhampur on November 17-18.

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) had given go-ahead to the inclusion of Pahari ethnic people, a linguistic minority of J&K, along with ‘Paddari tribe’, ‘Kolis’ and ‘Gadda Brahmans’ in the ST list. Paharis, unlike Gujjars and Bakerwals who are Muslims, comprise a mixed population of both Hindus and Muslims.

“Massive protests will be held in all the tribal localities on both days of the Tribal Minister’s visit to oppose the granting of ST status to mainstream society under the garb of ‘Pahari-speaking’ people, who have now been labelled ‘Pahari ethnic’ people,” Mr. Chowdhary said.

The tribal leaders of Gujjars and Bakerwals have asked the ST communities “to wear black badges, put up black flags on their houses and share the photos and reels on social media handles” during the Union Minister’s visit.

The tribal leaders said Pahari people belong to affluent classes of the society. “They are socially upper classes, economically well-off people with a literacy rate that is above the average in U.T. of J&K,” they said.