JAMMU: Welcoming the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry’s decision to open 3 new residential Schools for Tribal Gujjar-Bakrwal community in the State and to construct 5-New Hostels buildings, besides many other new initiative for them, the Gujjars through Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation (TRCF) – main body of Schedule Tribes today hailed Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi for taking prompt actions on the demands of TRCF for Educational and Cultural up-liftmen community.
In a letter sent to Prime Minister the community expressed gratitude for starting of new Schemes to Develop Gujjars Educationally and Culturally. Dr. Javaid Rahi, Secretary of Tribal Foundation said " We the Gujjar-Bakrwal community welcome the new initiatives of Tribal Ministry of India and it is go a long way in developing their Tribes by providing them quality education besides preservation of centuries-old nomadic and tribal cultural heritage.
He said, in the letter we welcomed the initiative of opening of three new residential school for ST Gujjar-Bakrwal Children in low literacy packets includes one each in Chatro Doda, Khawas Rajouri and Uri in Baramulla district with the full funding of Union Tribal affairs Ministry. We also expressed gratitude for sanctioning of construction of 5 New Hostel Buildings for ST Gujjars-Bakarwals at Baramulla, Kupwara, Poonch , Rajouri and Bandipur Districts and sanctioned Rs.5 crore for this year by Union Tribal Ministry.
We welcome the decision of Tribal Ministry for opening of a Tribal Research Centre at University of Kashmir as it will provide a quality research about the Socio-economic, political ,cultural, and migratory way of life of Gujjars. In letter the Foundation pined hope that an amount of Rs.5.00 Crore sanctioned by the Tribal Ministry for undertaking immunization of nomadic Gujjars Bakrwals will help them take benefit of the Scheme, he said and added that Tribal Foundation will provide a list of migratory routs to J&K Government for conducting the health programme by Health department.
The Foundation expressed satisfaction over sanctioning of Rs.5:00 Crore by Tribal Ministry enabling the J&K Government to start skill development programme for Gujjar-Bakrwal youths. We thanked the Union Tribal Ministry for directing J&K Government to focus on Gujjars-Bakarwals who are Educationally most backward as compare to other tribes and facing low literacy rate in whole India. Dr Rahi, however, sought immediate intervention of Prime Minister for inclusion of Gojri into the eighth schedule of Indian Constitution, and said their tribal language deserves more constitutional safeguards and on merit should be inducted into the list of official languages of India which stands already recommended by J&K Govt.