Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 11: Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation- a community-supported organization, has appealed the Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University to fulfill aspirations of local tribes.
“BGSBU has turned into an income-generating organisation with huge fee structures and is indirectly ignoring tribal Gujjars-Bakerwal students to get admission in the institution. Resultantly, being members of the weaker section they either left their studies or opt-out for other Universities of India as they are unable to pay huge fees, dues etc,” alleged speakers of a programme organised here by the Foundation.
The programme was held to discuss the educational scenario of tribes. The speakers on the occasion expressed dismay over the attitudes of authority.
The speakers said that BGSBU was mainly built on a ‘grazing land’ used by the tribal /local population of adjoining areas to rear cattle, sheep and goats to run their livelihood, with a promise that this will emerge as a primer institution in the area to eradicate illiteracy but the University over the period of 10 years of its existence has not only ignored locals in jobs and admissions but it also overlooked local languages, culture, ethnicity, which is quite surprising.
They alleged that more than 80 to 85 percent of the teaching staff and the students do not belong to Poonch, Rajouri area and demanded immediate filling of advertised posts and end adhoc-ism.
They alleged, that the Centre for Gojri and other languages was established in 2015 but till date not a single activity of the centre was seen on the ground which reflects the level of ignorance about local aspirations.
In his presidential address, noted Tribal researcher, Dr Javaid Rahi hoped that new Vice-Chancellor Prof Akbar Masood -who is a known academician of India, will come forward and address these core issues related to local/ tribal aspirations. He said, that the new BGSBU VC is very positive in his actions and hoped that he will open up the channels with locals/ tribal groups to address their genuine issues.
Those who spoke on the occasion, included Advocate Zulkarnain, Advocate Shabir Ishtiaq Ahmed , Misbah, M A Chowdhary and other students and scholars.
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