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| WPRs may get citizenship rights in six months: Gandhi | | Positive development | |
Early Times Report
JAMMU, May 5: Will the refugees from West Pakistan (WPRs), who have been leading a wretched life in different places in Jammu province since 1947-1948, get citizenship rights? Yes, if one goes by the statement attributed to Labha Ram Gandhi, chairman of the West Pakistani Refugees Action Committee (WPRAC). Gandhi and six of his colleagues the other day met with national BJP president Amit Shah in Delhi. After the important meeting, Gandhi gave the social group, he says, he represents to understand that they would get all those rights which the state subjects in J&K exercise.
A report in this regard said: "The BJP today promised that citizenship rights would be granted to the West Pakistani refugees within six months notwithstanding the strong objections raised by separatists and other radical groups of the Kashmir valley to this long-pending demand". "The BJP national president is aware of our unending miseries. The meeting with the BJP national president was held in a cordial atmosphere. Shah told them that the BJP leadership was aware of the miseries of refugees and addressing their grievances was a priority of the party. The BJP national president has reiterated the commitment of his party towards granting citizenship rights to West Pakistani refugees and sought just six months to get all our problems solved," Gandhi was quoted as saying from Delhi.
It is pertinent to mention here that the WPRs do not enjoy the right to own immovable property in the state, do not have the right to obtain job under the state government, do not have the right to participate and vote in the assembly, civic body and panchayat elections, do not have the right to avail bank loans, do not have the right to higher and technical education in the state-run educational and technical and professional institutions and so on. They want all these rights, besides they also want adequate compensation for the properties they left behind.
Now that it is none other than Amit shah who, according to Labha Ram Gandhi, had held out a categorical assurance that the WPRs will months, one can hope that these hapless refugees would start leading a dignified life by the end of 2015. It would be interesting to see how the BJP, which is part of the coalition government in J&K and at the helm in Delhi, convince the Kashmiri leadership of the need to empower the WPRs. There are forces in the Valley who are against the demand of the WPRs. In any case, New Delhi is New Delhi and it can do whatever it wants provided it has the necessary will. |
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