Gujjars welcome delimitation commission recommendations to reserve 9 assembly seats for STs in J-K

Jammu, Dec 20 (PTI) Tribal community Gujjars and Bakerwals on Monday welcomed the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission for Jammu and Kashmir proposing nine Assembly seats be reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs).

“The draft recommendation of the Delimitation Commission regarding the reservation of nine seats for tribals (STs) in J-K Assembly is a step that will prove historic towards tribal development," said Javaid Rahi, noted tribal researcher and founder secretary of Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation.

Gujjars and Bakerwals heartily welcome such a move that has happened after 30 years of wait, he said.

Gujjars and Bakerwals are a major tribal group in Jammu Kashmir and are ethnically, socially and politically very important segment of the society, Rahi said.

The move will empower the tribal community and help to eradicate poverty, caste stigma and end inequality, he said.

The Delimitation Commission, set up to redraw the assembly seats of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, is learnt to have proposed six additional seats for Jammu region and one for Kashmir Valley in its 'Paper 1' discussed with its five associate members on Monday.

Nine seats have been proposed for STs and seven for SCs in Jammu and Kashmir. This is the first time that seats have been proposed for STs in Jammu and Kashmir.