Jammu June 29:– High level delegation of Pahari Development Council met the Chairman J&K Socially and Economically Backward Class Commission, Justice G.D. Sharma and former ADGP Muneer Khan, IPS and Ex. PCCF Sh. Roop Lal Bharti, IFS at Bahu Plaza Jammu today and demanded grant of ST status for an ethnical community of Pahari Speaking People (PSP) to provide parity to this community in terms of Articles 15,16 and 342 of Constitution of India.
The delegation also demanded enhancement of Reservation from 4% to 8% to the PSP of J&K UT in government jobs till the ST status is granted by the Union Government and 10% reservation in all Academic and Professional Institutions run by the government, Semi government and Private Sector.
The delegation was comprising of Harbans Lal Chairman (PDC) District and Sessions Judge (Retd), Ashok Sharma, Ex MLA Kalakote, Vice Chairman (PDC) Ab. Majid Qureshi, General Secretary(PDC) and Sayeed Basharat, General Secretary(PDC).
That there is 9.1% population of Paharies in J&K as per 2011 censes. District Rajouri tops with 64% population followed by District Poonch with 63%, whereas Baramulla 40%, Kupwara 12%, Anantnag 8%, Ganderwal 6%, Shopian 5%, Bandipura 4%, Pulwama 2%, Badgam and Kulgam 1%. They are 1105713 out of total population 12267103 of J&K.
The case of the Paharies was recommended by the state government in furtherance of the cabinet decision No. 159 dated 08-08-1989, J&K Advisory Board for Development of Paharai Speaking People was constituted on 20-10-1989, Gen. K.V Krishana Rao, the Governor recommended to the Union Welfare Ministry vide his letter dated 26-12-1993. In 1998 J&K Advisory Board for the Development of Pahari Speaking People vide recommendation dated 25-11-1989. Again Principal Secretary, Social Welfare submitted comprehensive report dated 23-06-2003 to the Registrar General of India. The Interlocutors Group for J&K headed by Dileep Padgaonkar, in his first report in October, 2010. Expert Committee final report with regard to socio economic status and common ethnic characteristics of Pahari Speaking People of J&K forwarded to the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs on 08-10-2016 and the UT Government vide notification No. SO 127 dated 20-04-2020 provided 4% reservation to PSP.
The Pahari Speaking People (PSP) as a community is a conglomerate of Hindu, Muslims and Sikh population having common socio-economic and ethnic characteristics being a linguistic identity of J&K is a very popular known ethnic community as described by renowned scholar Vidya Bhushan who in his book “State Politics of Jammu and Kashmir” has mentioned the Pahari community has its own distinct identity, unique common customs, cultural affinity, rituals, rites, traditions and customs, folk songs, music and customs reflecting in them as a one ethnic community mostly inhabited in Poonch, Rajouri and some parts such as Uri, Tanghdar, Karnah and other parts of the Kashmir valley. Vis-à-vis Pahari and the Pahari region is to be the north of Jammu called Ponari/ Patwari and inhabited by the people called Paharies. Reference has been quoted in the report of Census of J&K 2011 volume XX page 201 regarding the groups it is stated that despite having different religions, they have the common in them linguistic and socio-ethnic characteristics of communication, sharing of their festivals, customs and traditions and even as for inheritance of immovable property is concerned, the PSP are governed by primitive immemorial customary law as has been codified in Rawji-e-Aam edited by Makhan Lal, in the first settlement of Jammu and Kashmir more than a century ago and also by Lawrence in his valley in Kashmir and by P.N. Ganjoo in his Customary Laws of Kashmir and in Rawji-e-Aam for Kashmir Valley by Diwan Sant Ram as per first census of J&K more than a century back.
The Paharies have adopted the customary law of inheritance in variance with muslim personal laws and customs of inheritance such customary law and there customs have been upheld by the judicial pronouncements of the Judicial Board of Advisors of the Maharaja’s time princely state of Jammu and Kashmir in pre-independence era. Popularly and logically, the Paharies are known as Poonchies, Karnies, Kaganies, Rajouriwalas, Uriwatas paharies irrespective of their caste, colour, creed and sex.
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