After scoring 92 percent marks in his class 12th examinations, Inderjit Singh Gill, has now set his eyes on the prestigious UPSC examinations to realise his dream of becoming an IAS officer. Since childhood he had tutored his mind to crack the prestigious examination at all costs.
Inderjit is not the only one who is nurturing dreams of making it big in life.
Eklavya, currently working as office assistant in the Central University Jammu is also preparing to crack an entrance examination for the post of J&K Bank associate.
After discontinuing her studies in 2016, another bright student from the Valmiki community, Radhika Gill is planning to take an admission in the government degree college to pursue her graduation studies.
These youngsters represent the fourth generation of the Valmiki community living in Jammu since 1957.
After the Abrogation of Article 370 and 35-A last year they claimed all the doors closed by the successive State Governments have been thrown open by the BJP led Narendra Modi Government in one go.
“We have seen difficult times in the past, my father was working as a sweeper when i was a kid. He worked hard and rose to the level of supervisor in Jammu Municipal Corporation. Now, I want to become an IAS officer and make my parents, my community proud”, Inderjit Singh told The Pioneer.
Inderjit, is currently living with his parents and three other siblings in Valmiki colony in Gandhi Nagar area of Jammu.
Radhika told The Pioneer, “I discontinued my studies after passing class 12 examination. There was no future for us when Article 370 was there. Now it has been abrogated and i have already received my Domicile certificate, she added. “I can apply for government jobs as per my qualification and also pursue higher studies”.
Eklavya told The Pioneer, “after my graduation I started working as office Assistant in the Central University Jammu. Now i have applied for a J&K Bank post and also filing forms for other posts advertised by the J&k government to try my luck. I feel empowered now”, he added.
There are around 13 colonies in Jammu district alone but none of them have been regularised by the government till date.
President of the Valmiki Community in Jammu, Garu Bhatti told The Pioneer, “the decision of the BJP government to Abrogate Article 370 and 35-A has infused new lease of life among the deprived members of the community”.
He said , “an estimated number of 150-200 youth are studying in different graduate and post graduate courses in Jammu and Kashmir and now with the issuance of Domicile certificates they can all compete in the competitive examinations and secure their berth”. Previously, despite acquiring degrees majority of youth could not apply for a government job or take admission in the professional degree courses.
In 1957, the then Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad had decided to bring in Safai karamcharis (sweepers) from other States.
Around 200 families,mostly from the neighboring districts of Punjab were brought here at the peak of the strike called by the sanitation workers in Jammu.
As the strike continued for several months, major parts of the city were converted into garbage dumps. Despite promising them all basic facilities the members of the Valmiki community were deprived of their basic human rights since then.