Coming down heavily on the Public Service Commission (PSC) for its “unfair and biased’’ approach  in the selections  under Scheduled Tribe category the members  of Gujjars and Bakerwals  tribes today appealed their community to unite  for a joint struggle against unjust  approach by the commission against the  candidates of their tribe.

In this context , the Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation organised a programme here to protest against open discrimination  and unequal treatment being  meted out  by the  Commission against Gujjars & Bakerwal candidates.

The community elders while speaking in the programme  alleged that their tribe  had  been  pushed to wall in selections made by the Commission under  scheduled tribe category in last two years. They alleged that though their tribe   constitute  more than 80% of tribal population (STs) but they have been ignored and discriminated openly and marginalised by giving less than 20% share in ST quota selections.

They said that highly biased nature of selections under ST category  had shaken the faith of the educated tribal youth of the  state in the PSC. They  said that the research conducted by the  Foundation in the respective select lists revealed that a peanuts share  was being given to Gujjars under ST recruitments as compared to other tribes which was in the obnoxious average ratio of around 20:80.

They cautioned the State Public Service Commission to desist from such bias in selections and the harassment of the unemployed “has caused a strong resentment among the Jammu youth which could explode anytime and take an ugly turn.’’

They termed this treatment by PSC with the Gujjar tribe condidates as unjust and discriminatory . They  appealed  Governor  and Chief Minister to intervene in the matter. 

They said that PSC should maintain  a balance between various tribes that fall under Schedule Tribe category and  threatened strike if the recruitment agency  fails to  shun their unfair approach toward Gujjars.

Quoting examples from a recruitment  of Asistant Professors, it said that only  196 candidates  were recruited in last few months under ST category . But among them only 39 belongs to Gujjars and Bakerwal tribes as rest seats goes in favour of other tribes which together constitute 20%  of total population of tribes as against Gujjars which are 80% among STs. They said the community feels discriminated in all the  recruitments of PSC .

The speakers included Mohammad Anwar,  Ali Mohammad  Chowdahry, Ch. Din Mohd , Khadam Hussain Tedwa, Rana Mir Mohd Gujjar, Mohd Rizwan and others.

Guest