Poonch:-01 August 2021, Shamsher Hakla Poonchi a prominent Gujjar leader and intellectual of J&K, said that the Gujjars Bakarwals of J&K are divided into three tribes settled, Half Settled, and Unsettled Nomadic. The needs and the problems, the language and culture of the Gujjar Bakarwal tribe are quite different from other communities of J&K, that is why this tribe has its own peculiar position and it has its own identity, customs, and a unique way of life. Gujjar Bakarwal tribes are educationally, economically, socially, and politically backward.
Hakla said that the Half settled and unsettled tribes of Gujjar Bakarwal people along with their belongings, families, and castles goes to the heights of hills and mountains (Dhoks) of J&K as there they can have sufficient grazing fields for their castles/animals. There they live for about six months of the summer season; every year.
He said that many years ago, the government of J&K had opened mobile schools for the children of Gujjar Bakarwal tribes and those schools had to stay at these places where Gujjar Bakarwal people resides during the six months of the summer season so that these children could get proper education and during the winter season, these mobile schools had to move down the plains where Gujjar Bakarwal tribe resides during the winter season.
Unfortunately, nowadays many mobile schools do not move with these tribes during the summer season, because of which the education of the children of the Gujjar Bakarwals tribe has to suffer. Many mobile schools have been converted to stationary schools of the J&K government and nowadays only a few mobile schools are left. Because of this reason, these people are far behind in the field of education. The previous state governments of J&K had failed in ensuring the functioning of mobile schools in Jammu and Kashmir.
Hakla said that the people of Half-settled and unsettled tribes of Gujjar Bakarwal are living a life of difficulty and their children are lagging behind in the field of education and do not proceed forward in the field of development along with other sections of society. The benefits of education and other government schemes have not reached them.
Shamsher Hakla Poonchi urged the Lieutenant Governor of J&K Union Territory – Mr. Manoj Sinha frames a strong policy for ensuring the proper functioning of mobile schools in Jammu and Kashmir for Half-settled and unsettled nomadic people of Gujjar-Bakarwal tribes.
Prominent Gujjar leader and intellectual of J&K Shamsher Hakla Poonchi also urged to the government of India for opening of boarding schools on the pattern of Navodya Vidalya for Gujjar-Bakarwal girls and boys students in all districts of J&K Union-Territory.