By Altaf Hussain Janjua

Srinagar, Sep 22 (IANS): The Modi-led government at the Centre recently nominated Engineer Ghulam Ali Khatana, a leader of the Gujjar tribe from Jammu, as a member of the Rajya Sabha.

The Gujjar Bakarwal tribes of Samba, Kathua and Jammu districts have been celebrating this decision ever since wherein the people are thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and the rest of the BJP leadership.

The people say that the Bharatiya Janata Party has made history by representing the leader of the Gujjar tribe from Jammu in the Rajya Sabha. Until today, the millions of Gujjar Bakarwal tribes living in the plains of Samba, Kathua and Jammu did not get any political representation. For the first time they are considering themselves politically empowered.

Muhammad Bashir Chaudhary said that "Bharatiya Janata Party has politically empowered the Gujjar Bakarwal tribes living in the plains of Jammu, now they consider themselves safe and empowered".

A grand function was held in honour of Ghulam Ali Khatana at the Wadabi Center Gujjar Charitable Trust in which there was no limit to the joy of the people of the tribe.

It is noteworthy that before Engineer Ghulam Ali Khatana, only one Gujjar leader from Jammu and Kashmir was nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha. Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam from Sarnakot in the border district of Poonch, who was nominated for two and a half years.

In 1976, for the first time Chaudhry Fateh Mohammad from RS Pura Jammu was nominated as an MLC by the Congress in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature and he remained an MLC for 12 years. Then the National Conference nominated Haji Muhammad Hussain from Majalta Jammu as MLC for 12 years. Master Noor Hussain of Samba district was elected and became MLC on the National Conference ticket.