Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 15: Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation has demanded conduct of special census to enumerate nomadic and house-less Gujjars – Bakerwals and other schedule tribe communities of Jammu and Kashmir who are left un-counted as they spend their life in migration and move along-with their livestock to hills and plain of North-Western Himalaya as per the weather conditions.
The demand was highlighted in a programme organized by the Foundation, here today. The speakers of the programme expressed sharp resentment over exclusion of around 5 to 6 lakh migratory people, mainly Gujjar- Bakerwal during census process held in the State with regular intervals.
The speakers stressed vigorously upon Centre and State to jointly launch an exclusive programme to conduct a correct and special census of lakhs of tribesmen under ‘nomad -house- less category’ as they stand un-enumerated during the process of each census.
Dr Javaid Rahi, noted Gujjar scholar and researcher, in his presidential address, said that there was an apprehension that around 5 to 6 lakh nomadic and houseless Gujjars and Bakerwals were still un-enumerated as they were under migration during the process for listing of houses conducted during census.
He suggested that Registrar General of India (RGI ) must initiate steps to hold exclusive mapping to list the movement of nomads in Himalayan region of J&K and provide a new column in registration forms of census by introducing “Nomadic Category” or “house-less category” which will help the enumerators to accommodate a big chunk of tribal population during the process. He said it will benefit the State in formulating a development programme for houseless and marginalized schedule tribes.
The speakers requested Prime Minister and Home Minister of India to intervene and direct RGI to re-schedule the dates of census in Jammu and Kashmir or to hold a special survey of nomads.
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