Srinagar, May 17 -- In the high mountains of Jammu and Kashmir's Chenab Valley lives a population whose identity has long remained underrepresented in public discourse and policy planning. The Pahari-speaking communities of the erstwhile Doda district now Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban have renewed their demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, arguing that their historical isolation, socio-economic backwardness, and linguistic distinctiveness justify constitutional recognition. Their appeal raises a larger national question: how should India recognize communities that have remained geographically distant and administratively invisible for decades?

The Chenab Valley is one of the most rugged regions of Jammu and Kashmir. Spread across steep s...