Jammu : Senior Pahari leader Tahir Manhas said that the community is expecting announcement of Schedule Tribe status ahead of Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to District Rajouri.
In a statement issued on Tuesday the senior Pahari leader made a fervent appeal to the members of Pahari Speaking community and their respective leaders to become the part of the aforesaid public rally without fail as the chances are rife that the Home Minister will announce ST status in favour of the community. He said, “In case HM Shah will announce the reservation in favour of Paharis, the whole community would remain indebted to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for giving a fair deal to the community and ensuring the long pending justice”.
He categorically asked the Pahari community members not to forget the contributions of the former chief ministers of the erstwhile state of J&K, who during their respective tenures played significant roles making a strong case for the Paharis to get the ST status. Manhas particularly listed the names of ex-CMs including Dr Farooq Abdullah, late Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah for their proactive efforts in bringing the plight of Paharis before the centre for meaningful consideration of their case regarding the grant of ST status. He asserted that Ghulam Nabi Azad’s endeavour towards providing succor to the Pahari community is matchless as during his tenure as CM of J&K, many facilities were created for the community in the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch. He gave hostels for Pahari students and also increased hostel seats from merely 30 to 100. He also ensured a drastic increase in the scholarship for the Paharis from meager Rs 4 lakh to whopping Rs 14 crore, which was a laudable step. During his tenure as Union Minister, Azad has also sanctioned medical college for the region, changing the development profile of the twin border districts. Tahir Manhas appealed to Pahari people not to utter a word against any of the former chief ministers of J&K because each of them had played a vital role creating a strong basis for the ST status to Paharis. He made it clear that if any of the Pahari leaders indulge in mudslinging against the former Chief Ministers of the erstwhile state, he or she will dent the cause of Pahari people because the role played by all the former CMs was prolific and in the interest of the community. He said that Paharis are grateful to the entire leadership of J&K irrespective of their party affiliations and therefore would remember the contribution of all in the coming times.
