Amid ongoing protests in Jammu and Kashmir by the Scheduled Tribe Gujjar-Bakarwal community against it, the Rajya Sabha on February 9 cleared the way for the addition of the Pahari ethnic group to the Union Territory’s Scheduled Tribes list.
Along with it, the Upper House passed the Bills that added the Paddari Tribe, Gadda Brahmin, and Koli communities to the ST list and the Valmiki community (including synonyms) to the Scheduled Castes list of Jammu and Kashmir.
During his reply to the discussion on the Bills, Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda addressed the concern of the existing Scheduled Tribe communities in Jammu and Kashmir like the Gujjar-Bakarwal and Gaddi communities.
