End Regional Discrimination: JKSAC Urges Govt to Grant Equal Rights to PoJK DPs Outside Rajouri, Poonch

Jammu, Nov 4: The Jammu Kashmir Sharnarthi Action Committee (JKSAC) has strongly urged the Government of Jammu and Kashmir to extend the Scheduled Tribe-2 (ST-2) status to the Pahari-speaking Displaced Persons (DPs) of 1947 from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) who are presently residing outside the districts of Rajouri and Poonch. The organization, which has been representing PoJK DPs since 1967, described the denial of ST-2 benefits to Pahari-speaking communities settled in other districts as a grave injustice and a violation of their constitutional rights.

Addressing a press conference in Jammu, Gurdev Singh, President of JKSAC, expressed deep concern over what he called “persistent discrimination” against Pahari-speaking PoJK DPs living in Jammu, Kathua, Samba, and Udhampur. He argued that while the government’s decision to grant ST-2 status to Pahari-speaking communities in Rajouri and Poonch was commendable, excluding those residing in other districts was illogical and unconstitutional. “They share the same language, culture, and heritage as their brethren in Rajouri and Poonch. Denying them equal rights merely because they were displaced and resettled elsewhere is a travesty of justice,” Singh asserted.

He appealed to all legislators, irrespective of party affiliation, to rise above political lines and take up the cause of equality for all Pahari-speaking DPs. The JKSAC has particularly urged Dr. Narinder Singh, Vikram Randhawa, and Arvind Gupta—who themselves belong to the Pahari-speaking community—to intervene personally and pursue the matter with both the Chief Minister and the Lieutenant Governor to ensure that the demand reaches its logical conclusion.

Referring to the Constitution (J&K) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Act, 2024, Gurdev Singh emphasized that the Act itself identifies the Pahari ethnic group as one unified community with a shared cultural and linguistic heritage. “If the Constitution recognizes the Pahari ethnic identity as one, how can geography divide their rights?” he asked. He further recalled that the same position was reaffirmed by Minister Sakeena Ittoo in the Legislative Assembly on April 8, 2025, where it was categorically stated that Pahari-speaking people form one cultural and linguistic unit.

Highlighting the hardships faced by PoJK DPs over the decades, Singh said that the community continues to suffer from economic deprivation, unemployment, and lack of representation. “The youth, despite being educated, are losing faith due to continued neglect and the absence of any reservation or employment package,” he lamented. “The Government’s selective recognition has deepened this sense of alienation and injustice.”

He reiterated that all PoJK DPs—whether residing in Rajouri, Poonch, Jammu, or Kathua—form one inseparable community bound by the same cultural roots and historical experience of displacement. “The Government must act immediately to end this discriminatory policy and grant ST-2 status to all Pahari-speaking DPs across Jammu and Kashmir,” Singh urged.

Senior JKSAC members, including Bhushan Sharma, Netar Parkash, S. Ajit Singh, Puran Singh Chib, Dwarka Nath Khajuria, Rajesh Khajuria, and V.K. Sudan, were also present at the press conference and echoed the demand, emphasizing that extending ST-2 benefits would not only correct a long-standing wrong but also strengthen social harmony and trust in the administration’s commitment to equitable development.