STATE TIMES NEWS
NEW DELHI: Agitated over the non-inclusion of Koli community in the list of Scheduled Tribes (ST) despite repeated assurances given by Union as well as State Government, dozens of Panthers Party workers held a demonstration at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on Wednesday.
The Panthers activists led by Harsh Dev Singh Chairman JKNPP and former Minister and Yashpal Kundal State President Young Panthers raised slogans against BJP and Central Government for ignoring the said community despite their legitimate claims for inclusion in the said category.
Harsh said that BJP-PDP had promised the grant of ST Status to Paharies and Kolis during their election campaigns in J and K and had subsequently incorporated the same in the Agenda of Alliance.
He however regretted that no initiative was taken thereafter by any of the Parties to rake up the issue during the successive sessions of the Legislative Assembly and Parliament. He said that the Koli community largely inhabit districts of Udhampur, Kathua, Doda and Ramban, with all the elected representatives including MLAs and MPs belonging to BJP from the said areas. He however regretted that not a single MLA or MP of the said area promoted their cause in the Assembly, Parliament or outside.
Harsh said that the grant of ST status to Kolis was forcefully projected by him during the proceedings of ‘PM’s Working Group on Centre State relations’ of which he was a member and the said group had endorsed the said demand with its positive recommendations. He said that he had further petitioned the Prime Minister of the country who had further sought a report on the issue from the State Government.
He said that he had agitated the issue in the erstwhile Legislative Assembly also and the government had assured to process the case. He said the case had been submitted to the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs also but no action has been taken thereof.
Flaying the callous attitude of the concerned authorities towards the most legitimate demand of the said community, Harsh said that the grant of ST status to Kolis has been recommended by various Deputy Commissioners of J and K State as well as J and K Administrative Department of Social Welfare on the report sought by the Central Government but the much needed decision in respect of the said recommendations was still awaited.
Justifying the demand of Koli’s for inclusion in ST category, Singh 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 said that whereas Sippis were included in ST category, the Koli’s were ignored inadvertently which needed to be rectified. He said that while the grant of ST status to Gaddis and Sippis was welcome but the omission of Koli’s who belonged to the same clan and from the said category amounted to grave injustice which was required to be undone at the earliest. He called for necessary modifications and corrections in the revenue records so that errors and mistakes were rectified and justice ensured to Kohlis.
Urging upon the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs to take notice of the genuine grievance of the Koli community, Singh sought initiation of appropriate steps for inclusion of the said class in ST category.
He further apprised that Deputy Commissioner Kathua vide letter no. DCK/LHS/2014-15/1271-75 dated 11th December, 2014; Deputy Commissioner Udhampur vide office no. DDCU/CM-Sectt./ 2014-15/1062 dated 30th May, 2014; Deputy Commissioner Doda vide office no. 1106/SQ dated 22nd October, 2014 and Deputy Commissioner Ramban vide office no. DCR/SQ/346-48 dated 29th June, 2015. have all recommended the grant of ST status to Koli’s and appealed for early action in respect of the same.
Yash Paul Kundal said that JKNPP shall continue to fight for the cause of the poor, downtrodden and deprived sections of society. He sought immediate settlement of the issue of Kohli’s failing which Panthers Party would intensify its agitation for the rights. The panthers leader came down heavily on the Union and State Government for making false promises with regard to enhancement of honorarium of SPOs who were assured of enhanced amount of Rs. 6,000 from 1st January, 2016 but regretted that no action was taken on the said assurances also.
Others who spoke on the occasion included Ganesh Dass, Hukum Chand, Kaku Ram, Jagdish, Raju, Gagan Pratap, Parshotam Parihar besides others.
