Rajouri, July 30: Ecstatic that a bill giving them scheduled tribe (ST) status had been introduced in Parliament, Paharis held a rally of joy on Sunday.
Paharis danced to the rhythm of the drums during a celebratory march led by community leaders that departed from Kalakote and travelled through many neighbourhoods before arriving at Dak Bungalow Rajouri.
They also phoned Syed Darkshanan Andrabi (MoS), the chair of the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board, and conveyed their thanks to the Indian government and the BJP for introducing the bill in the Lok Sabha that would allow Paharis in Jammu and Kashmir to get ST reservations.
Pahari leaders, including Bharat Bushan Vaid, Ehsan Mirza, and others, spoke at the gathering and said that the Pahari community in Jammu and Kashmir had been fighting for ST designation for more than three decades and that this fight was still ongoing despite the fact that successive governments had neglected this legitimate demand.
“We are extremely grateful to the Government of India and the BJP for granting Paharis’ request, and we are hopeful that Paharis will soon receive ST reservation,” they stated.
