Congress leaders congratulate Pahari people for ST status

Jammu, Feb 11: Several senior Pahari leaders of Congress party have congratulated the people of Pahari tribe for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

They said the achievement of ST status was made after the struggle of several decades of the Pahari community and their leadership of different shades and support of successive governments of different political parties.

In a statement former minister Shabir Ahmed Khan, former deputy chairman Legislative Council Jahangir Hussain Mir and former MLC Ravinder Sharma have expressed joy over the fulfillment of long pending demand of Pahari community. They remembered the contributions of several leaders of the community, irrespective of their political shades, in the long drawn struggle and lauded all of them for their contributions to the cause.

The Congress leaders recalled the services of several leaders of the Pahari movement from in past who achieved the recognition of Pahari as a language in the 6th schedule of J&K Constitution, got the case for scheduled tribe status recommended to centre in 1989,secured constitution of Pahari people welfare board in 1993 and achieved so many milestones including unanimous resolution of state assembly and passing of bill of five percent reservation in 2014 in both houses. The case for ST status was recommended time and again by the successive governments of different political parties including the present one who supported the Pahari cause which culminated into success now.