New Delhi.,14 December 23
Delegation of the Pangwal Ekta Manch (Pangi Unity Forum) from Pangi in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh has reached the national capital of New Delhi, demanding the restoration of Pangi assembly constituency and construction of Chehni Pass tunnel. Addressing a press conference at the Press Club of India,Trilok Thakur, president of the non-governmental organization Pangwal Ekta Manch,said that these are their two major demands. He said that his organization represents 25,000 Pangwal tribe people.
Pangi is the most remote and snow-covered tribal-dominated region of Himachal Pradesh. The Pangwal tribe is an independent tribe in the 5th Schedule of the Constitution of India. It has its own distinct culture, language, dialect, geography, and history. A delegation of the Pangwal tribe, demanding to make Pangi an assembly constituency again, reached Delhi on December 10, 2023 after a three-day difficult journey. Passing through Lahaul-Spiti-Mandi, Bilaspur, Punjab, and Haryana, these people have traveled about 1000 km.
Trilok Thakur said that the delegation has submitted memorandums to Chief Election Commissioner, Election Commission of India, National Scheduled Tribe Commission, leaders of national political parties, and government officials demanding the restoration of Pangi as an assembly constituency. He said that Pangi was declared an assembly constituency during the first delimitation in 1952. (Late) Daulat Ram, who belonged to the Pangwal tribal community, represented this consituency. However, the existence of the Pangi assembly constituency was abolished in the delimitation of 1962 and the entire Pangi region was made part of the Bharmour assembly constituency in 1966.
