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Speakers of Lahnda (Western Punjabi)[13] dialects including Pahari–Pothwari and Hindko.The dialects of the Pahari-Pothwari language complex cover most of the territory of Azad Kashmir.[14] People of Azad Kashmir possess a strong sense of Kashmiri identity that overrides linguistic identification with closely related groups outside Azad Kashmir.[15] The dialects are also spoken further east across the Line of Control into the Pir Panjal mountains in Indian Jammu and Kashmir. The population, estimated at 1 million,[16] is found in the region between the Jhelum and Chenab rivers: most significantly in the districts of Poonch and Rajouri, to a lesser extent in neighbouring Baramulla and Kupwara,[17] and also – as a result of the influx of refugees during the Partition of 1947 – scattered throughout the rest of Jammu and Kashmir.[18]
Gujjar-Pahari rift over grant of Scheduled Tribe status
The Gujjars and other Tribal communities who have already listed as Scheduled Tribes in Jammu and Kashmir in 1991 are opposing grant of ST status and other similar benefits to the Pahari Speaking People of J&K with the argument that such a step will dilute the entire Scheduled Tribe status. The Gujjars of Jammu and Kashmir, already declared ST in 1991 , in J&K but they constantly countering the move to grant Scheduled Tribe status to 'Pahari Speaking People' on the basis of (Pahari) Language.[19][20][21][22] Gujjars are of the view that such a move will adversely affect the development of tribes of the region. The demand for grant of ST status – by Pahari-speaking people is based on the sole premises of the linguistic identity.[23]
The Gujjars arguing that majority of Pahari Speaking People belongs to upper class Muslims such as Syeds, Qazi, Per, Beg,Raja , Malik, Mirza , Khan , Mughals, Rajputs, Kashmiris and upper caste Sikhs , Hindus and Christens including Barahmins, Rajputs, Mahajans and they do not face any social stigma or caste inequality like Gujjars, Bakerwals, Gaddis and other tribes of Jammu and Kashmir do.[24][25][26][27][28][29][30] They said as per 2011 census the literacy rate among Scheduled Tribes of J&K is 50% and 59% in STs across India but in Pahari Speaking People especially in Poonch Rajouri districts it is 68% and if Paharis entered into ST status the existing tribes will get affected adversely.[31][32][33][34]The Gujjars further arguing that the 'Pahari Speaking People' do not belong to a Socially, Economically and Educationally backward class like Gujjars, Bakarwals , Gaddis , Sippis and Shina who are in ST list of J&K.Tribes are opposing ST status to Pahari speaking as they are already enjoying 4% reservation under Actual Control Line habitat, 10% under RBA, 4% under Other Social Castes, 10% under Economically Weaker Section, 4% under Pahari Speaking besides 48% General Category and now they are trying to get the share in 10% granted to Gujjars under ST.[35][36][37][38]
Meanwhile a number of organisations of displaced communities' have started a struggle and demanding ST status for them as they are also Paharis. In addition to this, they are urging for a share in 4% reservations in Govt Jobs/ Admissions granted to 'Pahari Speaking People' as these communities belongs to same clans of PSP and they speaks Pahari dialects fall under Lehnda Group. [39][40]
Establishment of Pahari Board & grant of 4% Reservation to PSP
The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has established an Advisory Board for the development of Pahari Speaking People in 1989 for the welfare of Pahari People.[41][42] Nevertheless, core demands – like that for a Scheduled Tribe status and the associated affirmative action benefits – were not met. In 1989, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir recommended to the Union Government of India that the Paharis of Kashmir should be granted such status,[43][44] and this recommendation was reiterated in 1994 by the governor of Jammu and Kashmir and the chief ministers of the state.[45][46]
In April 2020, the government of Jammu and Kashmir granted to "Pahari-speaking people" four percent reservation for direct recruitment and admission and distribution of seats in professional institutions.[47] This has sparked disagreements between representavies of the two unrelated "Pahari" communities – those of eastern Kashmir and those of mountains of western Jammu – as to which group of the two constitutes the "genuine Paharis" with a more disadvantaged status, and therefore stronger claim to receiving the benefits of the reservation policy.[48][49]
Pahari Ethnic Group
Most recently, the J&K Socially Economically Backward Classes Commission constituted by the Government of Jammu and Kashmit in 2020 [50] in its report has renamed the group ' Pahari Speaking People' (Who speaks Lehnda Western Punjabi) with the substitute term 'Pahari Ethnic Group', which tends to identify them as an ethnic group to be brought under the purview of the Schedule of Tribes under the Constitution of India .[51][52]
^Shackle 2007, p. 114. sfn error: no target: CITEREFShackle2007 (help)
^A 2000 estimate reported in Ethnologue (2017) harvtxt error: no target: CITEREFEthnologue2017 (help)
^Singh 2014, p. 18 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFSingh2014 (help); Bhat 2014, ch. 1, pp. 38, 40 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFBhat2014 (help)
^Lists of regions and settlements are found in Bhat (2014, ch. 1, pp. 40, 43–44) harvtxt error: no target: CITEREFBhat2014 (help) and Kour (2014) harvtxt error: no target: CITEREFKour2014 (help).
^Sharma, Malvika (2020). "Remaking of ethnic-boundaries: identity and religion among Sikhs in the borderland of Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir". Asian Ethnicity. 23 (2): 1–19. doi:10.1080/14631369.2020.1811951. S2CID225268135.
