STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Enraged over the State Government neglecting the recommendation of according ST status to Kolis along with the Pahari speaking people, scores of Panther Party workers including the members of Koli community held a massive demonstration at Exhibition Ground Jammu today.
The Panthers activists led by Harsh Dev Singh, Chairman JKNPP and former Minister, raised slogans against the BJP and the State Government for ignoring the said community despite their legitimate claims for inclusion in the said category.
Flaying the State Government and BJP in particular for depriving the Kolis of their genuine rights, Harsh described it as yet another venomous doze of discrimination administered to the divested Jammu region. He divulged that while the State Cabinet in its meeting recommended the grant of ST status to Pahari speaking people, it blatantly ignored the Kolis despite incorporated commitment of State government in the ‘Agenda of Alliance” on page no 10 besides BJP’s tall election promises.
He regretted that even the communiqués of the Union Government and PMO Office on the subject were ignored by the State Government for unknown reasons. He deplored that Koli community which inhabited the far flung areas of Kathua, Udhampur, Doda and Ramban Districts qualified for ST status in view of their cultural distinctiveness and vulnerable socio-economic conditions but were made to suffer.
He however regretted that not a single BJP MLA of the said area promoted their cause in the Assembly or outside and the
Ministers from Jammu region were mute spectators when the State cabinet excluded the Koli community from ST status in its deliberations.
Reiterating the demand of Koli’s for inclusion in ST category, Harsh stated that Koli and Sippis belong to the same family having same culture, occupation, language, economic and social status and residing in hilly area having negligible land owner ship and are dependent upon rearing of animals. He flayed the non chalant attitude of the concerned authorities towards the tribal community. He said that while the grant of ST status to Gaddis, Sippis earlier and now to Paharis was praiseworthy but the inadvertent omission of Koli’s who belonged to marginalised communities needed to be rectified. He said that the grant of ST status to Kolis had been recommended by various Deputy Commissioners of J and K State but the much needed decision in respect of the said recommendations was still awaited.
Singh adjured the Chief Minister to take notice of the genuine grievance of the Koli community and sought initiation of appropriate steps for inclusion of the said class in ST category.
Singh vowed that JKNPP shall not relent until the poor, downtrodden and deprived sections of society were bestowed with their rights. He sought immediate settlement of the issue of Koli community failing which Panthers Party would intensify its stir for their legitimate rights.
Prominent among those who participated in the protest demonstration included Rajesh Padgotra, Sham Gorkha, Gagan Partap, Nirmal Kishore, Shankar Chib, Naresh Chib, Kailash Mohan, Udheyveer, Ashok Kumar, Jagdish Chander, Sanjay Kumar, Gouri Lal, Raj Kumar, Sunil kumar, Khem Raj, Chatto Ram, Khushi Ram, Hukam Chand, Karnail Singh and Madan Lal.