RLD Leader Mohammad Anees Choudhary Demands Census Extension for J&K Tribes

Jammu, J&K: Mohammad Anees Choudhary, General Secretary of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) Jammu and Kashmir unit, has urgently appealed to the Government of India and the Jammu & Kashmir administration to extend the timeline for the ongoing Census 2026-2027 operations. He warned that the current schedule, especially the Self-Enumeration phase from May 17 to May 31, 2026, risks excluding thousands of Gujjar and Bakarwal tribal families due to their seasonal migration to remote hilly areas.

Choudhary highlighted that during this period, these tribal communities migrate to high-altitude meadows where census enumerators are unable to reach. He demanded an extension of the Self-Enumeration window, deployment of special mobile census teams to mountain transit routes, and a zero exclusion mandate to ensure these historically marginalized groups are properly counted. He emphasized the census's importance for future welfare schemes and urged the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Registrar General of India to prioritize accessibility over rigid deadlines.