Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 20: Pahari Tribe ST Forum, a socio cultural organization for welfare of Pahari Tribe, held one day convention on contemporary issues related to Pahari Tribe at Brigadier Rajinder Singh Auditorium, University of Jammu, here, today.
More than 350 delegates across J&K UT participated and showed solidarity for the welfare of tribe.
Prominent leaders and members of Pahari Tribe took part in one day convention and resolved to work collectively for the upliftment of culture, literature and other aspects of the down trodden Tribe. Also in one voice they reiterated demand of due ST Status to the Pahari ethnicity.
They said that Pahari ethnicity constitute a Tribe well mentioned by the Government of India with Constitutional amendment and live in hilly, tough terrain of border area lacking the deficiency in all sectors and also are part of seasonal migration every year and fulfills all prerequisite to be given Schedule Tribe status as cleared by all penal reports, Backward Commission Reports and Constitutional Amendments.
The speakers hailed the concern shown by Government of India in recently regarding delay in grant of Schedule Tribe status for such a long time by some quarters with vested interests.
Interacting during the proceedings the members of the ethnicity in one voice raised concerns of their down trodden condition and appealed GoI to furnish their due long pending demand of ST status. They said that Pahari Tribe has suffered most since partition and most of people residing in POJK belongs to Pahari Tribe.
The speakers also pointed that Modi Government which is having complete majority and works with full conviction and will definitely address this genuine demand of much deprived tribe.
From time to time different committees and expert panels declared Pahari Tribe as the downtrodden ethnicity. Pertinent to mention since 1993 every Governor and Chief Minister of J&K has recommended due ST status to Pahari Tribe,.
During the programme, Ravinder Raina, Pahari leader and BJP UT president acted as the chief guest while NC senior leader and former Minister, Mushtaq Bukhari presided over the function. Other senior leaders who were present includes Vibodh Gupta, Shah Mohd. Tantray, Raja Manzoor Khan, Mohd. Rashid Qureshi, Sayeed Rafiq Shah, Iqbal Malik, Qyum Mir, Rajinder Sharma, Sohail Malik, Rafiq Ahmed Chisti, Muzaffar Khan, Nadeem Khan, Anu Bhasin, Yassir Khan, Arif Jatt, Bharat Vaid, Shazia Mir, Samreen Khan and many more.
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