AWANTIPORA, JUNE 19: The All Jammu and Kashmir Gujjar Bakerwal Conference was held on Friday at Town Hall Awantipora, drawing a large gathering of community members, intellectuals, social activists, and prominent dignitaries from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
The conference witnessed the participation of several notable personalities, including Director Tribal Affairs Shamim Ahmad Choudhary, former Minister and Patron-in-Chief of the Gujjar Bakerwal Conference Ejaz Ahmad Khan, President of the Conference Haji Yousuf Gorsi, General Secretary Gujjar and Bakerwal Choudhary Mohammad Yaseen Poswal, and Tehsildar Awantipora Shakeel Ahmad.
The event served as an important platform to discuss pressing issues concerning the Gujjar Bakerwal community, with a strong focus on unity, education, socio-economic development, and social awareness.
Speakers highlighted the need to address major challenges faced by the community, particularly educational backwardness, unemployment, lack of opportunities, and the need for greater representation in development initiatives.
Addressing the gathering, speakers stressed that education remains the most powerful tool for empowerment and urged parents to ensure that children, especially those from remote and tribal areas, receive quality education. They emphasized that the future progress of the Gujjar Bakerwal community depends largely on an educated and aware younger generation.
The speakers also called upon the youth to take active leadership roles in community-building efforts and work collectively for social upliftment. They underlined the importance of preserving the community’s cultural identity while adapting to modern educational and professional opportunities.
During the conference, participants also discussed the need for stronger unity among community members to safeguard their constitutional rights and ensure that welfare schemes and government benefits reach deserving people at the grassroots level.
The gathering concluded with a collective resolve to continue working towards the upliftment of the Gujjar Bakerwal community through awareness campaigns, educational initiatives, and regular public engagements.
Participants described the conference as a meaningful and encouraging step, expressing hope that such programs would continue in the future to strengthen community solidarity and effectively raise the voice of the Gujjar Bakerwal people.
