Hilly Tribes Demand Inclusion & Reservation in Demarcation Process: Altaf Saleem Khan,SC, STs 0nly 16% Percent and Only Tribes Constitute 82%
Uri CNS, Mar 1: Leading social and political figure of Uri, Altaf Saleem Khan, while welcoming the demarcation process, said that no reservation has been made for the hilly tribes in UT of Jammu and Kashmir and they are not being taken into confidence.
In a statement issued to CNS, Altaf Saleem Khan said, “We have no objection to the delimitation commission but when they are taking the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Caste class into confidence, they are in view of the fact that without taking the people of mountainous people of Jammu and Kashmir into confidence, the Commission has lost significance” he clarified.
Referring to Border Tehsils of Uri, he said that the population of hilly tribes is 82 percent while the total number of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes is 16 percent. He added that the hilly tribes were ignored during the DDC polls, although 90 per cent of the Panch and Sarpanchs belonged to the hilly tribes during the Panchayat elections.
Meanwhile he also mentioned that earlier the hill communities of Uri were kept away from political rights during the DDC and BDC elections and now it seems that they were deprived of their rights even during the delimitation process of Assembly constituencies, their rights were trampled
“I urge the delimitation to take the people of the hill tribes into confidence during the delimitation of constituencies, otherwise the process will be meaningless,” he said. “Come to the ground and talk to the representatives of this class” he demanded.
He clarified that there was a large number of hilly voters in all the constituencies in both Kashmir and Jammu where they could try their luck. He further said that the hilly people of Jammu and Kashmir should not be misled by the hollow slogans of political parties and these parties have failed to meet the expectations of the hill people.
While stressing on the inclusion of hilly people in the delimitation process he said that the hilly tribes in Kashmir Valley are important in the constituencies of every district including Uri while Jammu province has a large number of voters. He said that the demarcation commission should also respect the opinion of the hilly tribes in every district so that their rights are not violated. (CNS)