Srinagar- In a significant development, the Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 to grant scheduled tribe status to Pahari Ethnic Group and other communities in Jammu & Kashmir.
According to details available, the Lok Sabha also passed the Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 that seeks to include Valmiki community in the Scheduled Caste list of Jammu & Kashmir.
The ST Bill also includes Gadda Brahman, Koli and Paddari communities to the ST list of Jammu and Kashmir. The house was adjourned for the day soon after the two Bills were passed.
The Bills will now be taken up in the Rajya Sabha for consideration and passage. These Bills were passed nearly seven months after they were introduced in the Lok Sabha. The Bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha on July 26 last year.
The announcement to grant ST status to Pahari Ethnic Group was made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during public rallies in Baramulla and Rajouri in October 2022.
The grant of ST status would make Paharis eligible for all benefits available to ST category in Jammu and Kashmir. The Paharis are in majority in Nowshera, Kalakote-Sunderbani, Rajouri, Thanmandi, Surankote, Poonch-Haveli, Mendhar, Uri and Karnah assembly segments of J&K.
Notably, Paharis have been fighting for more than three decades for their inclusion in the Schedule Tribe (ST) category.
The inclusion of these communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes in Jammu and Kashmir will have absolutely no impact on the current level of reservations available to the existing Scheduled Tribe communities such as Gujjars and Bakarwals. They will continue to get reservations like before, said the government in an official handout.
“Reservation to the newly listed Scheduled Tribes will be provided in such a manner that it does not cause any harm to the communities which are already listed as Scheduled Tribes. After the Bill is passed by the Parliament, the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will issue necessary notifications on reservation, which will ensure that the people included in the existing list of Scheduled Tribes continue to get the same level of reservation,” it added.
List of tribes in ST list of J&K
1. Bakarwal
2. Balti
3. Beda
4. Bot, Boto
5. Brokpa, Drokpa, Dard, Shin
6. Changpa
7. Gadda Brahmin
8. Gaddi
9. Garra
10. Gujjar
11. Koli
12. Mon
13. Paddari Tribe
14. Pahari Ethnic Group
15. Purigpa
16. Sippi
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