STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Asserting that Gujjars who constitute a significant and sizeable proportion of the total population of the Jammu and Kashmir, are the symbols of patriotism and nationalism, senior BJP leader and former minister Choudhary Sukhnandan Kumar said, “New era of tribal development commenced in J&K with the introduction of new laws after 2019, which empowers ST communities at large,”
While talking to group of members of Gujjars community, Choudhary narrated a seven decades story of the struggle of J&K Gujjars for the recognition of their separate identity as a tribal.
“Gujjars are nationalist by conviction and they have proved it in the past during extreme testing times, the former minister further said and added, “New laws including ‘Forest Rights Act, SC/ST Atrocities Act, Political Reservation to STs and other laws extended to J&K in 2019 will defiantly change the socio-economic profile of the Tribal Gujjars, Bakerwals, Gaddis and Sippis.”
Due to grant of the rights under Political Reservation now 102 Sarpanchs, 66 Block Chairman, 43 DDC Members and 3 Chairpersons of DDC were earlier under ST category across J&K, senior BJP leader Sukhnandan Kumar said adding that the Delimitation Commission has recently announced the reservation of 09 seats for STs in JK Assembly which is a great step towards tribal empowerment.
