PoJK DPs take swipe at LG Admin for ‘undermining’ struggle of displaced persons 

Leaders call construction of Bhawan for PoJK people ‘big tamasha’; ask LG to step down for violating Constitution authority

Jammu, March 14: Several organisations of Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) displaced persons on Thursday came down heavily on the UT administration headed by Lieutenant Governor for trivializing the colossal suffering and pain endured by the displaced persons, alleging that the LG administration has brazenly ignored the genuine issues confronting about 17 lakh displaced persons.

The leaders of these organizations, in a joint statement issued here, voiced their strong discontent over the wasteful expenditure being planned for the construction of a Bhawan for PoJK displaced persons in the Suketar area, situated on the outskirts of Jammu city. They particularly objected to the foundation stone laying ceremony performed by Lieutenant Governor Sh. Manoj Sinha on Tuesday.

The joint statement was issued by Jagjit Singh Sudan, President MJR-47, Gurdev Singh, President Sharnarthi Action Committee, Rajiv Chuni, Chairman S.O.S. International, Capt Yudhvir Singh, President ‘PoJK DPs’ Front 1947, 65, 71 (Camp & Non-camp) and S. R. Nagyal,  President Chhamb Displaced Persons Association-1971.

In a scathing attack on the UT administration for willfully ignoring the plight and sufferings of the community, the leaders asked how this Bhawan would support the livelihood of displaced persons who are living in a miserable condition.

“A drama was enacted to lay the foundation stone of a Bhawan for PoJK. Fake refugees were ferried by bus to the venue while the LG administration has been raking up irrelevant issues while overlooking the genuine concerns of the displaced persons,” they said.

Jagjit Singh Sudan questioned the relevance of such a Bhawan in addressing the dire needs of the displaced persons who are currently enduring miserable living conditions in different parts of the country. They emphasized that the proposed Bhawan, located several kilometers away from the refugees’ habitation, was neither requested nor deemed essential by the refugees themselves.

“We would like to know as to how this Bhawan will support the livelihood of lakhs of refugees living in different parts of Jammu region. Refugees did not request such a Bhawan. Instead, various critical issues concerning PoJK refugees have been sidelined and overlooked. We’ve submitted numerous memorandums to LG Manoj Sinha, but it seems they have been disregarded, without even an acknowledgment,” he said.

Gurdev Singh said the erstwhile state government of Jammu and Kashmir had approved a comprehensive package for PoJK displaced persons in October 2014. The package was an outcome of the decades-long struggle of community leaders. “Unfortunately, the LG administration did nothing to ameliorate the suffering of displaced persons. It made no progress to ensure that the displaced persons get financial help in a time-bound manner. We demand that the Government of India should religiously and in-principle fulfill the package, announced for PoJK DPs before the formation of the BJP-led government at the Centre in 2014, without any further delay,” Mr Chuni said.  

He further said, “This LG administration has completely overlooked the rehabilitation package approved by the previous state government. The families of PoJK DPs whose cases of rehabilitation package of Rs 5.5 lakh per family approved by the administration, have not been paid a single penny till date. The LG administration has only added salt to the wounds of DPs”.   

He further said, “This package 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. Unfortunately, the UT administration headed by Lieutenant Governor in Jammu and Kashmir has never bothered to utter a single word about this package and it continues to maintain a cryptic silence over it”.

Rajiv Chuni, chairman of the ‘S.O.S International’, took a swipe at the Lieutenant Governor for violating his constitutional authority. “We failed to understand as to who suggested the Lieutenant Governor make a statement that the PoJK displaced persons got voting rights, permanent resident certificates and job opportunities only after abrogation of Article 370,” he said.

He accused the Lieutenant Governor of deriding the Constitution and undermining the resolution passed by Parliament declaring PoJK as an integral part of Jammu and Kashmir. He found it surprising that the Lieutenant Governor questioned the native status and state subject rights of PoJK residents in Jammu and Kashmir. “Such political statements aimed at favoring a particular party should have been avoided,” he said.

He further criticized certain PoJK DPs who attended the official event hosted by the Lieutenant Governor but refrained from questioning his remarks. Chuni pointed out that the PoJK DPs are the original inhabitants of Jammu and Kashmir and have no connection with the changes following the abrogation of Article 370. Instead of granting them their rightful privileges, Chuni accused the Lieutenant Governor of depriving them of their rights.

He demanded the immediate resignation of the Lieutenant Governor on moral grounds for his constitutional transgressions, asserting that the Lieutenant Governor has effectively undermined the longstanding struggle of PoJK DPs.

Capt Yudhvir Singh, in his statement, referred to the recent ruling of the High Court wherein the Court ordered an “end to the discrimination” against Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) DPs of 1947, 65, 71 (Camp and Non-Camp).

“We were demanding that all 5,300 PoK displaced families settled outside Jammu and Kashmir should be brought into the ambit of the package passed for PoJK DPs by the then J&K government in October 2014. This government did nothing to provide relief to these families but they have been delivered justice by the J&K High Court that directed the Central government to treat 5300 displaced families of PoJK through their successors/legal heirs settled out of J&K alike and equally with 26,319 displaced families settled in the erstwhile State and consequently work out a one-time settlement rehabilitation package for them,” he said.

S R Nagyal said the construction of Bhawan for PoJK was a part of “game-plan” to benefit a particular political party but the 17 lakh displaced persons would not allow this conspiracy of the LG administration to succeed. “We will sit together and chalk out the future strategy to effectively deal with this gross neglect of PoJK, Chhamb DPs in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.