PAHARIS/PADDARIS
– POLITY
News:
Who are the Paharis and
Paddaris, proposed for ST status in J&K?
What's
in the news?
●
The government has brought a Bill to
include four communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Jammu and Kashmir:
“Gadda Brahmin”, “Koli”, “Paddari Tribe”, and “Pahari Ethnic Group”.
Key
takeaways:
●
The Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir)
Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 is one of the four Bills relating
to the Union Territory that were introduced in Lok Sabha.
Status
in Jammu and Kashmir:
●
The dominant
ST communities in J&K are the Gujjars and Bakerwals, who mainly live in
the districts of Rajouri, Poonch, Reasi, Kishtwar, Anantnag, Bandipora,
Ganderbal, and Kupwara.
●
Most of them, especially the Bakerwals,
are nomadic — they migrate with their livestock to the higher reaches in the
summer, and return before the onset of winter.
Paharis:
●
The Paharis are Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs, and include people of Kashmiri origin
who settled in the districts of Rajouri and Poonch over a period of time.
●
There are upper caste Hindus among the
Paharis; also people who were displaced from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.
●
The Paharis finally got 4% reservation in jobs and educational
institutions in 2019, when Satya Pal Malik was Governor.
GD
Sharma Committee:
●
In 2019, the Justice (retd) G D Sharma
Commission was appointed to identify groups that were socially, educationally,
and economically backward.
●
The Commission in its report recommended
ST status for Gadda Brahmins, Kolis, Paddari Tribe, and Pahari Ethnic Group.
●
The report was sent to the Tribal Affairs
Ministry, and the Registrar General approved it in 2022.
Further
Reference - ST Status