Tribal community in Jammu Kashmir discriminated since independence

Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha today said that the tribal community in J&K has been neglected and discriminated against since independence, the Lt. Governor said that never before have the prospects for the tribal community been as bright as they are today.

Tribal community in Jammu Kashmir

Marking a historic day for the development of the Pulwama tribal people, Manoj Sinha inaugurated 5 projects, including the Model Tribal Transit Residential School, and Girls' Hostel, and laid the foundation stone for another 18 projects for the welfare of the tribal community in the district.

The tribal people of Pulwama witnessed the inauguration of projects worth Rs 11.47 Cr and the laying of foundation stones for new projects worth Rs 39.86 Cr for development and welfare in tribal areas.

Speaking on the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor said that the projects worth more than Rs 51 crore are testimony to our commitment to social justice and equality.

The Lieutenant Governor underlined that sustained attention is being paid to ensuring that quality education is available to people who have been disenfranchised for a long time. New hostels, smart classes and a record number of scholarships for tribal students will open the doors to economic prosperity and all-around development, he added.

26 tribal student hostels in last 50 years

“Between 1976 and 2020, only 26 tribal student hostels were established, while 37 new hostels will be added by 2023. In the last 21 months, steps have been taken to ensure the empowerment of all marginalized and weaker groups.

Forest Rights Act, PM Van Dhan Yojna, SHG, health care, transportation facilities, hostels, tourist village, skills development and all initiatives have been aimed at ensuring J&K progress in an equitable, fair and just manner, he added.

The Lieutenant Governor said that the government is doing everything possible to improve the livelihoods of the tribal population. UT Administration is installing 100 Van Dhan Kendras in Jammu and Kashmir so that the tribal community can get a fair price for valuable forest products.

In addition, he announced the creation of 1,500 Van Dhan self-help groups at UT to make women in the tribal community financially independent. An amount of Rs 15 crores has also been made available, it was reported.

On ensuring access to quality, affordable education for children in the tribal community, the Lt. Governor said the UT administration has reviewed student scholarships at various levels and increased scholarships across the board in accordance with contemporary realities.

Connecting tribal community with mainstream

For students associated with the seasonal schools, children up to middle school still received an annual scholarship of Rs 450 to 675. A committee was formed to look into this, and now this scholarship is being increased to Rs 2,400 per annum, which will directly benefit some 34,000 students. Similarly, the scholarship review in higher education had not been done from 2012 onwards, and technical courses and postgraduate students also got an annual scholarship of just Rs 30 lakhs. This is also being increased to Rs 60-80k annually, which will benefit 12,000 youth from the tribal community.

Recalling his commitment to establishing 100 smart schools in tribal areas in November last year, the Lieutenant Governor said that in March this year, the task of turning all 100 schools into smart schools was completed, including six such schools in Pulwama that now Possess the same state-of-the-art facilities that are available in schools in big cities. The Department of Tribal Affairs, in association with the District Administration, is also developing a Tribal Group Model Village in Pulwama at a cost of Rs 10 million, he added.

LG noted that the UT administration will give new energy and momentum to the process of social development in Jammu and Kashmir by connecting the underserved tribal community with the mainstream.

Expressing his gratitude to the Honorable Prime Minister, the Lieutenant Governor said that only thanks to his efforts nine seats in the UT assembly have been reserved for the tribal community, which in a sense reflects a step taken to empower them politically.

The rights of the weaker sections enshrined in the constitution were denied for 70 long years; The benefits of development were not allowed to reach the last man in the queue. By eliminating divisive and discriminatory policies, we have made all sectors of the community effective partners in the development process, added the Lieutenant Governor.

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