- International Women Day Special
JAMMU: Expressing concern over the alarming census data released recently by Registrar General of India under Union Home Ministry , with regard to tribal women of Jammu and Kashmir, wherein the Gujjar Bakrwal women figures at the bottom with Lowest literacy rate among the Schedule Tribe Women of India and J&K State -the members of Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation today demanded extra ordinary measure to them pull them out of the darkness of illiteracy and the ignorance associated with.
Dr. Javaid Rahi Secretary of the Foundation today’s said that the census data about tribal literacy-says the Gujjar-Bakrwal women which constitute 79.7% of total ST women population of the state are at the bottom as 82.2% of them are illiterate . He said a big chunk of Gujjars- Bakrwal women are suppressed and are facing the brunt of neglect , exploitation and ignorance due to low literacy rate.
He was speaking in a programme organized in connection with “International Women Day” with members of TRCF. He said the recent data released by Government of India is very distressing wherein Gujjar- Bakarwal women is figured below to Tribal women of India and the State of Jammu and Kashmir as per illiteracy rate of Tribal Women at National Level which is 50.35% and in the state of J&K 68.02% tribal women are illiterate.
He said as per the data of RGI other Tribal women of India are also low literate adding that 68.6% women belonging to Sippi Tribe are illiterate ,68.48% of Gaddi, 59.21% of Changpa, 55.29 of Brokpa, 52.72, Purigpa , 51.47% Beda,50.21% Garra, 49.76 Balti, 47.68% Moon, 44.95% Bot tribes are illiterate. The other speakers stated that the Gujjar-Bakrwal women of Jammu and Kashmir live in utter deprivation due to poverty, illiteracy , nomadic way of life, early marriage , superstitions, traditional neglect and lack of awareness about welfare schemes
The speakers said “These Gujjar women are not aware of their rights and schemes launched by the government for their education and social uplift as they live in far-flung and difficult areas and are nomads moving from one place to another,” The said a very few girls from the Ajjhari and Manjhi nomadic sub-tribes of Gujjars-Bakerwals were sent to school, and there is a very high dropout percentage due to compelling economic or domestic reasons and early marriages. They said TRCF will submit a memorandum to J&K Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Tribal Affairs Minister Ch. Zulfkar Chowdhary with the request to devise special plan for Educational Development of Gujjar- Bakrawal women.