Selective ST status undermines Art 370 abrogation
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 2: Pt Ashok Kumar Khajuria, a prominent leader of the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) Displaced Persons (DPs) community, convened an urgent meeting today to address the growing discontent over the selective grant of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
The meeting, attended by key social and political activists, ex-Panchayat representatives and members of the Jammu South-RS Pura constituency, witnessed strong criticism of what was termed as “step-motherly treatment” towards Pahari-speaking PoJK refugees residing outside Rajouri-Poonch.
Raising serious concerns over the discriminatory policy, Khajuria stated, “If all PoJK refugees are Pahari-speaking, then why should their rights be determined by where they reside? If the government grants ST status to Pahari-speaking people in Rajouri-Poonch, why are those settled in Jammu and other regions deprived of the same benefits? A community should not be divided based on electoral calculations or political convenience.”
Khajuria and others criticized the existing policy, arguing that it unfairly excludes thousands of PoJK refugees who share the same ethnic identity, language and cultural background as those in Rajouri-Poonch. He highlighted the paradox of the policy, questioning why a family’s decision to seek better livelihood opportunities outside Rajouri-Poonch should result in losing their rightful claims to benefits.
“One brother living in Rajouri-Poonch gets ST status, while another, who migrated to Jammu or elsewhere in search of livelihood, is denied the same right. This is nothing but an absurd and politically motivated decision,” he stated.
Khajuria called upon Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to take urgent note of this “grave injustice” and push for policy corrections that ensure equal treatment of all Pahari-speaking PoJK refugees across Jammu and Kashmir.
He argued that while the abrogation of Article 370 was hailed as a step towards eliminating discrimination in J&K, the selective grant of ST status contradicts the government’s claims of “justice for all.”
Khajuria said that the community will be left with no choice but to launch an “aggressive agitation” if their demand is ignored.
Prominent among those present include Ex- Sarpanch Vijay Sharma, Vikas Sharma, Pt Surinder Kumar, Surjeet Singh, Ex- Panch Bharat Sharma, Naresh Kumar, Sunita Sharma, Neelam Kumari, Gourav Raina and others.
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