The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has cleared the way for the inclusion of the ‘Pahari ethnic group’ on the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.
Key points
- The proposal green-lit by the commission also called for the inclusion of the “Paddari tribe”, “Koli” and “Gadda Brahman” communities to be included on the ST list of J&K.
- The suggestion for the inclusion had come from the commission set up for socially and educationally backward classes in the UT headed by Justice (Retd.) G.D. Sharma.
- The delimitation commission has reserved six of the nine Assembly segments in the Pir Panjal Valley for STs.
- The Pir Panjal valley is also home to Gujjars and Bakarwals, who are already categorised as STs, and have expressed resentment over the possibility of the inclusion of Paharis in the ST list.
