New Delhi: The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has approved the proposal of including ‘Pahari ethnic group’ in the list of Scheduled Tribes (ST) of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

The commission has also sanctioned including “Paddari tribe”, “Koli” and “Gadda Brahman” communities to the list.

Earlier last month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah guaranteed reservation in jobs and education to the members of Pahari community during his address on October 4 in Rajouri in Pir Panjal Valley which is home to the said community.

Promptly reacting to Shah’s commitment, the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs wrote to ST Commission on October 7 seeking its opinion over providing reservation to these communities.

The proposal of inclusion is based on a report from a commission set up for socially and educationally backward classes in the Union Territory which is headed by Justice (Retd.) G.D. Sharma.

During his public address in Pir Panjal Valley, the Union Minister assured that Narendra Modi-led central government was mulling over the recommendations made by the Sharma Committee.

As it sounds a good news to the people of Pahari community, Gujjars and Bakarwals had shown their firm resentment who also struggled nearly for 4 decades to gain ST status.

The two communities in questions are threatened that their status will be diluted once the ‘Pahari’ group be added. However, Mr. Shah had straight away dismissed these speculations during the same public address.

However, Shah’s assurance could not do the spell over Gujjars and Bhakarwals and they continued to hold protests against the proposal.