Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 7: Jammu and Kashmir Gujjar Bakerwal and Pahari Forum (JKGBPF) will participate in the upcoming State Panchayat polls.
This was announced today by Altaf Badhana, chairman of J&K Gujjar Bakerwal and Pahari Forum, while addressing a press conference at Chowkibal, Kupwara.
“We have decided to contest elections and it will be without any political affiliations but on our own. It is said that we are 11 percent but the fact of the matter is we are 25 to 30 percent of State population. We have many provisions for growth and development under constitution but we have not been able to avail the benefits because of lack of education”, he added.
He said this is the first time that such a platform ‘J&K Gujjar Bakarwal and Pahari Forum’ is being formed, bringing members together as a force of peace to reckon with. “In the background of boycott of Panchayat elections by the prominent political parties of J&K, the Gujjar Bakarwal Pahari community has decided to fight for their rights through the electoral process”, Badhana further elaborated and made an appeal to local and State administration to provide adequate security to contestants from JKGBPF who will participate in electoral process as independents.
It is pertinent to mention here that Jammu and Kashmir Gujjar Bakarwal and Pahari Forum which is a part of the civil society fighting for peace restoration in the region, organized a Maha Panchayat at Kupwara district last month to decide its plan of action for the Panchayat elections scheduled in November this year.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
