Jammu: Apni Party has demanded socio-economic upliftment of Schedule Tribe community in J&K and protection for them when they migrate to the upper reaches from the summer zones.
The demand was raised during the joining programme of over 200 Schedule Tribe community members who joined Apni Party at Gandhi Nagar under the leadership of Master Lal Mohammed.
Welcoming the newcomers into the Party, Senior Vice President Ghulam Hassan Mir advocated socio-political upliftment of the Schedule Tribe community which has been deprived of their rights.
The joining programme was organized at Apni Party Office in Gandhi Nagar in which Tribals from Samba and Kathua Districts joined the Party.
“The backwardness of the community should be removed with the implementation of welfare schemes for them. The health care and education among the children of the Schedule Tribe Community should be improved with the consultation of the community leaders,” said Ghulam Hassan Mir.
Mir said that the ST community was victimized as a vote bank. “Apni Party will work for their upliftment social, economic, educational and political in J&K,” added Mir.
Speaking on the occasion, Vice President Aijaz Ahmed Khan said that “The tribals who do not have their concrete homes should be provided homes under PMAY scheme and residential colonies should be constructed in every district for the tribal community keeping in view their poor financial conditions.”
On the same pattern, Khan said that the Govt should construct shopping complexes for the unemployed youth of the tribals for their economic upliftment by engaging them in small scale business activities.
He said that the grazing policy should be framed for them as they face problems in highland pastures and at the same time, they should be provided facilities to continue their economic activities related to their profession.
He demanded health policies for the live-stocks of the tribal community and improvement in their breed so that their cattles, goats, and sheeps to resist disease.
Expressing his concern over the past incidents of physical harm to the nomads during migration to the upper reaches, Khan said that the Govt should provide facilities to the nomads who migrate to highland pastures from the summer zone and provide them adequate security from the miscreants so that they are not harassed.
“The scholarships of ST students should come timely and hostel facilities should be improved. The deserving students should not be deprived,” said Vice President Apni Party Usman Majid.
Majid further said that the facilities in the Gujjar-Bakkerwal hostels need improvement and proper hygiene. “The Govt should give compensation for the cattles/livestock that die during migration,” he demanded.
Speaking on the occasion, General Secretary Vijay Bakaya, General Secretary Vikram Malhotra, Provincial President, Women Wing; Namrta Sharma, Provincial Vice President Syed Asgar Ali also welcomed them into the Party and said that the Party will leave no stone for the mitigation of their problems.
Provincial President, Jammu, Manjit Singh welcomed the newcomers into the Party and hoped that their joining will strengthen the Party.
“The Gujjars of Kathua and Samba Districts have different kinds of issues and the party will work on them for their early redressal. The nomads have rehabilitation issues, and a poor education system which has affected the future generation,” said Manjit Singh.
He said that the basic facilities do not exist in nomad localities like roads, drainage, drinking water supplies and electricity. SC State Coordinator Bodh Raj Bhagat, OBC State Coordinator Madan Lal Chalotra, Ex-MLA Faqir Nath, Shanker Singh Chib, Ajaz Kazmi, Abhay Bakaya, Shabir Kohli, Sanjay Dhar, Vinod Pandita, Vishal Kapahi, Joginder Singh, Vishal Zutshi, Farooq Chauhan, Dalbir Singh, Tariq Leo, Raj Kumar Lalotra, Dr Rohit Gupta, Janmeet Singh Bali, and others.
Earlier, Lal Mohammed said that the policies and programmes of the Party for the community. He hoped that the Party would represent them on all fronts and fight for the rights of the ST community.
