Jammu: Tribal community Gujjars and Bakerwals on Thursday welcomed the Delimitation Commission’s final notification whereby nine seats have been reserved for Scheduled Tribes in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly for the first time.
“The notification of the Delimitation Commission regarding the reservation of nine seats including six in Jammu and 03 in Kashmir Divisionfor tribals (STs) in J-K Assembly is a step that will prove historic towards tribal development,” said Dr Javaid Rahi, a noted tribal researcher and founder secretary of Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation while interacting with tribal elder assembled to celebrate the notification.
“It took 31years of wait for the tribes to get legitimate rights in J&K,as they were declared ST in 1991 and the political reservation isgranted in 2022, ” he added.
The Gujjars and Bakerwals heartily welcome the gazette notificationissued today reserving J&K Assembly seats of Rajouri, Budhal, Thanamandi, Surankote Mendhar, Gulabghar, Kangan, Gurez andKokernag for Tribal communities.