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After Home Minister’s assurance, Bakerwals, Gujjars discontinue foot march
Those privy to the matter said that the home minister had assured the Joint Action Committee members that there will be no dilution in the existing quota for Gujjars, Bakerwals and Gaddi communities.
After receiving assurance from Home Minister Amit Shah, the Gujjar, Bakerwal communities – who have been protesting against the Centre’s move to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Paharis – discontinued their foot march from Kupwara to Kathua.
Prominent tribal researcher Javaid Rahi said, “After getting an assurance from home minister Amit Shah, the Jammu and Kashmir Gujjar-Bakerwal Joint Action Committee (JAC) has discontinued its ‘Paidal March’, 18 days after it started, midway near Jammu district.”
A delegation of the JAC had met Shah in New Delhi in presence of Union home secretary AK Bhalla, MP (Rajya Sabha) Er Ghulam Ali Khatana, senior BJP leader Sunil Sharma, prominent tribal researcher Javaid Rahi and some Gujjar leaders.
Those privy to the matter said that the home minister had assured the Joint Action Committee members that there will be no dilution in the existing quota for Gujjars, Bakerwals and Gaddi communities.
The protest march had started from Kupwara on November 9 and was scheduled to touch all the 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir over a linguistic group (the Paharis) being granted ST status.
