DOGRA HERALD BUREAU
JAMMU, Dec 7
S. O. S. International–an organization for PoJK Displaced Persons on Thursday strongly opposed to the decision of the Union Government to reserve a seat for the displaced PoJK people, saying it has “humiliated” and “insulted” the entire community having a population of 17 lakh people.
On behalf of the entire community, the organization while making a fervent appeal to the Centre to reconsider its three major demands including reservation of eight seats in J&K legislative assembly and grant of ST status to all the people of PoJK community cautioned that it would be compelled to launch a vigorous movement before Lok Sabha polls in case its demands are not met.
On Wednesday, the Lok Sabha passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to nominate two members from the Kashmiri migrant community including a woman and one representing the displaced persons from PoJK to the UT Legislative Assembly. “The Lok Sabha passed the J&K Reorganization (Amendment) Bill and the PoJK DPs, who had been demanding eight seats in J&K legislative assembly since decades and strongly recommended by various Commissions and Committees over the years, have been given just one seat which is a cruel joke, a big humiliation and insult to them. The decision has rubbed salt into the wounds of PoJK people,” the SOS International Chairman Rajiv Chuni in the presence of Prof. N. N. Sharma, V. K. Datta, Amarjeet Singh, Ved Raj Bali, Bhai Ram Singh, Jorawar Singh, Daleep Chib, Jagjit Singh, Daleep Kumar, Dalbir Singh Raina, Ajit Sharma, Dharamvir Gupta, Satinder Dev Gupta at the office of S. O. S. International in Bakshi Nagar Jammu told reporters here. Mr Chuni said the recommendations of different Commissions and Committees constituted by the Government of India over the years were a strong evidence for the present dispensation at the Centre wherein they (government panels) recommended eight seats for the displaced PoJK people in J&K assembly on the basis of their population in the Union Territory and outside J&K.
“In 1957, a total of 25 seats were reserved for the displaced PoJK community. One of the seats was taken away from us while the remaining 24 seats are still reserved. The Wadhwa Committee as well as Interlocutors report while considering the genuine and legitimate demand of PoJK DPs for reserving eight seats for them in J&K assembly. The K C Pant-led Interlocutor panel and later a panel composed of M M Ansari and Radha Kumar as Interlocutors also made similar recommendations. Thereafter, the European delegation while assessing the plights and sufferings of PoJK people in the camps also favoured reservation of seats for us,” Mr Chuni said.
The senior PoJK refugee leader said, “A parliamentary standing committee headed by former vice president of India Sh. Venkaiah Naidu, in its report submitted in December 2014, also recommended allotting eight out of the 24 seats reserved for PoJK community to the displaced people from PoJK living in Jammu and Kashmir to ensure their political empowerment even if it requires amendment in J&K Constitution. Recently, the Delimitation Commission has also advocated for an adequate number of seats for PoJK refugees for their political empowerment”.
Mr Chuni expressed dismay that the PoJK community was denied their legitimate rights in the Parliament despite that a number of recommendations were made in their favour.
“What is quite surprising is that no commission or committee other than Delimitation Commission recommended two seats for Kashmiri migrant community and they (Kashmiri migrants) have been given two seats while only one seat reserved for PoJK community against the recommendations of eight seats. This is grave injustice and humiliation of the entire community having 12 lakh people living in J&K and five lakh displaced people outside the UT,” Mr Chuni regretted.
Taking a swipe at the BJP-led government at the Centre, the S. O. S. International Chairman said, “the people displaced from Kashmir has a total population of 1.57 lakh (as per the statement of Union Home Minister in the Parliament) and they have been allotted two seats while the PoJK community of 17 lakh people have been meted out to grave injustice and humiliation when only one seat has been reserved for them. What is more unfortunate is that this seat is to be nominated by the Lieutenant Governor as per his choice. The PoJK people will be deprived of electing their own representative in the J & K Assembly”.
The senior PoJK refugee leader demanded that the Government of India should religiously and in principle fulfill the package announced for PoJK refugees before the formation of the BJP-led government at the Centre in 2014.
“The package announced for PoJK DPs included Rs 25 lakh compensation for each PoJK community family, reservation in professional and technical colleges of the country for our youths and a provision of creation of 8500 jobs for the youths belonging to PoJK community. The BJP leadership in Jammu and Kashmir has never bothered to utter a single word about this package,” Mr Chuni said.
He also voiced his concern over the denial of Scheduled Tribune (ST) status to the PoJK DPs staying in Jammu, Samba, Reasi, Udhampur & Kathua districts. “Our people (PoJK) DPs living in Rajouri and Poonch districts have been given ST status under Pahari quota but the same is being denied in Jammu district and other parts of the country. How can the government justify this disparity if a section of the community gets some benefits and others are deprived of it? An attempt has been made to create a wedge within the community,” he said.
Terming the disparity as a “cruel joke”, the refugee leader held the Union Minister in PMO and local MP from Udhampur Dr Jitendra Singh, BJP state president Ravinder Raina and BJP general secretary (organization) J&K Ashok Koul responsible for the miseries being faced by the people of PoJK community.
“We don’t blame the Central government for failing to address our genuine aspirations. The trio (Dr Jitendra Singh, Ravinder Raina and Ashok Koul) have never bothered to give a sincere and holistic feedback to the Centre. They have always favoured the rights of the Kashmiri migrant community but overlooked the PoJK refugees who have been deprived of and overlooked by successive regimes for decades,” he said.
The leader said the entire community was angry and hurt with this decision and made an appeal to the Centre to reconsider three major demands of the community including reservation of eight seats in J&K assembly, fulfillment of all components of the package announced for PoJK refugees and ST status to the entire PoJK community without any disparity.
