Union Home Minister Amit Shah Announces Reservation for Pahari Community in J&K

New Delhi: Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday made a major announcement in Rajouri saying that the Pahari community will soon get reservation in the education and job sector under Schedule Tribe category. Shah also said that after abrogation of Article 370 reservation benefits were being given to Dalits, backwards and those living in hills.

Speaking at a rally in Jammu's Rajouri on Tuesday, Shah claimed that since the abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, militancy activities in the valley were at an all-time low. On Monday, however, DGP (Prisons) HK Lohia was found "murdered" at his private residence in Jammu.

Meanwhile, at the rally, Shah stated that the GD Sharma commission set up by the government has sent the report and recommended reservation for Gujjar, Bakarwal and Pahari communities and it will soon be implemented. The state is scheduled to undergo elections in the upcoming year.

"I have come here to tell you that Prime Minister Narendra Modi intensely desires that after the completion of administrative procedures about these recommendations, the Gujjars, Bakerwals, and Paharis get the benefits of reservation," Shah said.

While Gujjar and Bakarwal communities, who have 10 percent ST quota, have been resenting tribal status to Paharis, however, Shah has said that the existing S.Ts "will not lose anything."

Without naming any political parties, Shah said, "The three families have worked to promote the politics of separatism instead of terrorism, backwardness and development within Jammu and Kashmir…These three families should be recognized by the people of Jammu and Kashmir."

The three family's reference may have been directed towards J&K's PDP of the Muftis and National Conference of the Abdullahs and the Gandhis of the Congress. J&K's last state elections took place four years ago where PDP's Mehboob Mufti was the chief minister and the BJP was a supporting party. BJP later withdrew its support which led to the collapse of the government. The region has been under direct rule of the central government since 2018.