Srinagar- As the Government of India introduced the bill in Lok Sabha giving Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to Pahadi community in J&K , scores of members from Chopan community on Wednesday protested in Srinagar against the said move.
The protesters who had gathered under the banner of J&K Chopan Welfare Association demanded that their community be included under the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category. They appealed PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah to look into their issue with human heart
The members of All Jammu & Kashmir Chopan Welfare Association assembled in the Press Enclave on Wednesday and held a peaceful demonstration against granting ST status to Pahadis.
“ Members of Chopan Community rears Sheep of farmers. We belong to disadvantaged communities who are educationally and economically backward as well . We are only 2.50 lakh people in J&K having no land at all and our literacy rate is not even 30% . Don’t we deserve to be scheduled tribe “ said Ghulam Mohiudeen Chopan senior member of Chopan Welfare Association
The Chopan Welfare Association has been fighting for the ST status for Chopans for the last 26 years and got a resolution passed by the Legislative Assembly of J&K in 2000 .
The file for grant of Scheduled Tribe status to Chopans was put forward to the Ministry of Tribal affairs Govt of India by the then Chief Minister of J&K through J & K Social welfare department on 10th October 2000 after JK Assembly passed a resolution in favour of granting ST status to Chopans.
“We were shocked when we came to know that Pahadis are being given ST status . Our people are busy grazing sheep at highland pastures and those Syed’s , Mirza;s , Rajputs and Brahmins who live in posh colonies of Jammu , Srinagar , Rajouri and Poonch are getting ST status. This is unacceptable to us “ said Raja Basharat Chopan, another senior leader of Chopan Welfare Association and a member of the National level Youth Pastoralist committee.
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