In season of promises, Jammu youth await restoration of Dogra Certificate

JAMMU: Desirous of joining the uniformed forces, the youth of Jammu region are eyeing upon the document of pride—‘Dogra Certificate’—for which they have been fighting for decades, to get relaxations in the recruitment process.
‘Dogra Certificate’ is a document once being issued to the youth of Jammu region to get some relaxation in height and age in the recruitment of belt forces.
Ever since the mysterious disappearance of the process of issuing Dogra certificate in the erstwhile state, the young people keen to join armed forces have fought for this document but the demand could never be fulfilled. However, with the creation of the Union Territory, dejected youth of Jammu region, particularly from the border districts, have high hopes from the Lieutenant Governor’s administration in getting the ‘Dogra Certificate’ so as to be able to gain relaxation in the recruitment process.
“Dogra certificate is a document of identity for the community for getting special relaxation in recruitments and hence, it should undoubtedly be revised and issued at the earliest,” saya Sheikh Shakeel, an advocate at the High Court.
He asserted that the present dispensation has already claimed of strengthening the Dogra identity as well as the community, its culture, then why not the document is being issued.
“Most of the population in Jammu region lives in border belts and youth aspires of joining the security forces. This document can be beneficial for them,” said the Advocate adding that Jammu and Kashmir being a backward region is entitled to avail all benefits and to be treated at par with other regions.
Team Jammu Chairman, Zorawar Singh Jamwal said, “it is not only a certificate to avail relaxations to join security forces but it is a document of pride for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir.”
“The document is a pride for entire Dogra community,” said Jamwal saying that likewise, it is being issued in the State of Himachal Pradesh and Gorkhas in other parts, it should be provided to Dogra youth on a similar pattern so that they can be benefitted from it.
Former minister and MLA, pleading anonymity, who spearheaded the demand for ‘Dogra Certificate’, said, “the present administration should provide Dogra Certificate to our youth.”
“It is BJP government at the Centre and eligible youth should be issued the document like they have started issuing the Domicile Certificate” said the firebrand leader.
Pertinently, during NC-Congress Government, the then Revenue Minister had said that J&K Government has accorded sanction for issuance of Dogra certificate to the people of the Jammu region.
He asked the people of Jammu division to avail the benefit asserting that all such residents, who are otherwise eligible for grant of Permanent Resident Certificate in terms of J&K Grant of Permanent Resident Certificate (Procedure) Act and the rules made thereon, can get the certificate.
For the purpose of issuing the Dogra certificate, all residents of Jammu division irrespective of ethnicity, cultural background and mother tongue should be classified as Dogras, provided their forefathers were residents of the Jammu Division prior to 1944, he had said.
The former PDP MLC, Vikramaditya Singh also resigned leveling allegations against the party that Jammu centric issues were not addressed by them including the issuance of Dogra Certificate.
“The abrogation of Article-370 last year, among other positive reactionary developments in the erstwhile parts of Jammu and Kashmir had brought forth a rare sigh of respite among the descendants of at least 500 Gorkha families who fought alongside the Dogra army during colonial times, and 5,764 Dalit families who migrated to Jammu after partition mainly from Sialkot district of Pakistani Punjab,” Sukesh Angral, a Scholar said.
He added that Gorkhas, Balmikis, and West Pakistan Refugees are now permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir and have been issued the Domicile Certificate, adding, “but we were already the permanent residents and fighting for Dogra Certificate, which has not yet been issued by the previous regimes”.
“J&K is a UT now and ruled by the Centre. We hope that the demand will be addressed at the earliest like SRO 202 revocation with amendments,” said Shailendra Kumar, a college student, who aims to join Armed Forces.
He expressed hope that the document can help him during the recruitment process.
Way back, the Union Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh had also urged the then J&K government to bring out a legislation to revive the Dogra certificate and issue the same to youths who are willing to join defense services from the region.
Pertinently, relaxations were extended to residents from Kashmir, Leh, and Ladakh regions under the geographical criteria while the same applied to the Dogra people under the ethnic tribe community. But the order was revoked after it was criticized from various quarters.

Updated On 9/21/2020 10:52:33 AM