Jammu, April 15 -- Even as the recommendations of the Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by Minister Sakina Itoo are yet to be made public, refugees from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) have intensified their campaign seeking Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
A large number of PoJK refugees staged a protest on Wednesday, demanding their inclusion in the ethnic Pahari tribe and full recognition under the Scheduled Tribe category. The renewed agitation has once again brought into focus issues of equity, inclusion and the long-pending grievances of the displaced community.
Protesters argued that since the majority of PoJK refugees are Pahari-speaking, they should be treated at par with the recognised Pahari ethnic group for reservation benef...