news details |
|
|
| Little known facts POJK REFUGEES 1947 | | | Y.r.gupta | 9/18/2015 12:08:13 AM |
| The tribal invasion of J & K in 1947 actively supported by the Pakistan Army brought in its wake, horrifying stories of mass Plunder, Vandalism & Rape. Thousands of men women & children were mercilessly butchered in the name of Jihad by the Muslim Fundamentalist. Their sufferings of those dark days of 1947 (A greatest Human Tragedy-Genocide) have no parallel in the world History. The stories connected with Bravery & Sacrifices by the civil population have gone un noticed and unrecognised. They are the victims of the high level conspiracy which resulted in the creation of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POJK) as the Shiekh did not allow the Indian Army to recapture those occupied areas for his personal interest of becoming an un challengeable leader (Monark) of the State to occupy Prime Ministerial Throne.
Most of them are still living in the most miserable and inhuman conditions. The Fact remain that justice have all along been denied to them inspite of their repeated requests at all the levels.
These people were named by the State Government as Displaced Persons from Pakistan Occupied Area of J & K vide Order No. 1476-C of 1950 Dtd.16.12.1950 instead of Refugees on technical grounds.
Who are P O J K REFUGEES (DPs) :
They are the minority Hindu/Sikhs who lived in what is called P O J K & were forced to leave their Home & Hearth in a tribal raid in Oct. 1947 from 1508 villages of Muzaffrabad, Mirpur, Kotli, Bhimbar, Gilgit , Baltistan, Poonch Jagir, Deva Batala etc. parting off from their dear ones, blood relation and neighbours. They did not only leave their homes; many lost their parents, children, brothers, sisters and limbs while fleeing. Many husbands killed their wives and many parents / brothers themselves killed their daughters/ sisters to save their honour. These people were named by the State Government as Displaced Persons from Occupied Area of J & K vide Order No. 1476-C of 1950 Dtd.-16.12.1950 instead of Refugees on technical grounds.
They are qualified Permanent Residents of the State, having full rights of vote for State Assembly / to acquire property / Govt. jobs in the state, as they were already State Subjects holder before being hounded out from the parts of the state which are now under the illegal occupation of Pakistan and is called P O J K.
Total No. of families migrated in 1947 :-
Due to the so called tribal raid duly aided and abetted by the regular Pak Army almost all the Hindu as well as Sikh families living in that area had to run away to other safer parts in the state /country. Although no regular registration has been done neither by GOI nor by J&K Government still some figures that have emerged from government agencies could be ( subject to verification)
41119 families migrated (65% Hindus and 28% Sikh families)
31619 families-Registered with the State Govt. for ex gratia
9500 families - unregistered till date most of them living outside the state.
(Ref. Shri G D Wadhwa committee constituted by J&K Govt. vide order no. Rev/Rehab/151 of 2007 dated 09-05-2007 demands & problems of DPs, Lok Sabha reply to question on May14, 2002.
No Claims for compensations in lieu of the properties left behind by these displaced people were invited by the G O I as P O J K as always been considered as an integral part of India under illegal & force able Occupation of Pakistan.(Lok Sabha reply to Question On May 14, 2002)
Conditions kept for Ex Gratia Grant in 1960 :-
Family income less than Rs.300 per month.
Families must have migrated along with head of the family.
The cutoff date for displacement from POJK (Sept. 1947 to Dec. 1950)
Family must have stayed in camp after displacement.
It is not out of place to mention here that the registration of the migrants from Kashmir Valley has been taken on regular basis and has continued even years after 1989/90 & this has facilitated in taking account of the sufferings of the migrants from Kashmir Valley.
Assistance / settlement grants given till date :-
It was only after 13 years of displacement from POJK that a meagre amount of Rs. 3500/- per family was given as an Ex-gratia grant to some selected families (who qualified conditions as mentioned above) by Govt. of India after 1960. The State Govt. promised to allot agriculture land in Jammu province of the state @ 4 acres irrigated or 6 acres unirrigated per family for those refugees who agreed to live as rural settlers and a plot to those who wanted to live in town/cities in the state. But, the J&K State Govt. deducted Rs. 2500/- as cost of land even from a meagre ex-gratia of just Rs.3500 & paid only Rs. 1000/- in cash. Similar was the case with the urban settlers who were given a residential plot / house of 5-7 Marlas. Therefore, this was not allotment of land / house but a sale of a shelter /land/ to displaced persons form POJK. Many families could not get possession of the land as the tillers did not vacate the same.
No claims of the properties and assets left behind in POJK by DPs were paid to the suffering families not even till date (2013) what to talk of any assistance / cash dole for day to day survival.
No special support in trade, education, employment has been sanctioned for POJK DPs all these years (68 years)
No notification has been issued so far to even invite applications for registration of properties and the displaced persons and their properties / assets.
Total strength of P O J K DPs in the state at Present :-
1.20 million souls in J&K state, others are living in other states of the country -Delhi,M.P, Punjab, H.P, Rajasthan, Haryana, Utter Pradesh, Mumbai, Gujarat, Uttrakhand etc. No data base for these people has so far been built up neither by GOI nor J&K Government.
Settlement of POJK DPs:-
More than 5 lakh of the population of DPs are still living in the 39 refugee camps in J&K and about 60 other habitations for the last sixty eight years under most unhygienic, inhuman conditions in ghettoes e.g. Bhour Camp. Simbal Camp, Gole Gujral Camp etc. Badyal Brahmana, Railway Pattri etc.
Type of settlement :-
Mostly scattered along Indo-Pak border, starting from Poonch, Rajouri, Jammu, Samba, Udhampur, Kathua Districts in most non-contiguous forms even though a major part of P O J K was included in Kashmir province non of the Refugees were settled in Kashmir but were thrown out .
Refugee status :-
Govt. of India has not accorded POJK 1947 DPs the "STATUS OF REFUGEE" as the Govt. holds the firm opinion that POJK is an integral part of India that is under illegal occupation of Pakistan and hence no claims for the properties left behind have been paid to POJK DPs as have been paid to other 1947 time refugees from Pakistan by G O I.
Rajya Sabha Committee on Petitions : "Sharnarthi Action Committee Jammu" Sixty Second Report (presented on 13 June 1980)
Taking into account the material submitted before it and on the basis of on spot study of the problems of the displaced persons undertaken by it, the Committee has come to the conclusion that the problem of displaced persons uprooted in 1947 from the Pak-occupied areas of Jammu and Kashmir are genuine, as a lot remains to be done even now for their proper resettlement. The displaced persons of 1947 cannot therefore be blamed for voicing their genuine grievances when they have been suffering for a long time. The problems of these displaced persons need sympathetic consideration and call for a humanitarian approach by all concerned including the central Government and the Government of Jammu and Kashmir. Although the Committee was not authorised to make orders in favour of the displaced persons as regards the socio- economic as well as administrative support and the claims for the properties left behind, but the committee did appreciate the cause of POJK DPs. The Rajya Sabha Committee did make some suggestions and recommendations but even on that no action worth the value of neglect and loss suffered has been taken so far.
Sh. G S Wadhwa Committee constituted vide J&K Govt. Order No.REV/REHAB/151 of 2007 dated 09-05-2007
The committee was constituted to look in to the demands and problems of displaced persons of 1947, 1965&1971 from POJK and West Pakistan. The Committee has submitted the Draft report on 21-11-2007, but no action taken.
Kashmir issue and its resolution:-
The J&K agony (so called 'Kashmir' issue) started earlier than October 1947 but it could be said to have openly started from 22nd Oct. 1947 when the first bullet is said to have been openly fired by Pakistan aided and abetted so called tribal raiders in Muzaffrabad and not just in 1989-90.
They have suffered heavy loss of property, sacrificed our dear ones and also lost our local culture / language/ dress, apart from economical / educational loss.
Politically They are totally delineated. Their youth of the third generation are suffering from economic, educational backwardness & after facing genocide are in depression & have gone astray.
They pray for justice and as such put here under our charter of demands for consideration and resolution.
As first priority G.O.I. must issue an advertisement inviting applications for general enumeration of all the POJK DP families without any conditions that were kept in 1960 (Ex Gratia Grant) giving details of their properties, buildings/ land left back in POJK. Where ever the DPs do not have documents preserved with them, they need be offered assistance for collecting the same from POJK.
In view of the fact that the population of POJK DPs ( staying in J&K and other Indian States) might have grown from 3lacs in 1947 to around 12 Lakh today, it is demanded that a recount of refugees families be made afresh and registered to examine their entitlement of claims for interim package/ compensation due.
Out of 24 legislative Assembly seats freezed for the people living in areas of J&K state illegally occupied by Pakistan (POJK), defreeze 08 seats in favour of POJK DPs, who had been living in those areas (now POJK) before 1947 and now living in this part of state as DPs. So that they are able to voice their grievances in the house with legitimate right for undoing the socio economic backwardness they have suffered over six decades.
That an interim package be sanctioned for POJK DPs with compensation for loss of life, property, moveable and immoveable, home & hearth and the suffering accrued to them during the last 65 years.
That the POJK DPs must be included in any dialogue on J&K at any level being a first victim and as such a natural party to any settlement on Kashmir.
Constitution of a Welfare and Relief Commission / Board for DPs from POJK - 47 to look after the statistical / data base needs, economic support, social needs, employment needs , workout adhoc relief & provide the same , workout the compensations for the properties left behind & delayed payments and look after the immediate residential requirements of Camp DPs.
That (a) reservation in the technical and other professional colleges be made for children of POJK refugees, (b) a special package for employment of educated refugee's youth be given reservation in jobs in Central as well as State Govt. and (c) extension of interest free loans to establish their own business under self-employment.
That till the final settlement of the issue, the benefits that are accruing to Kashmir Migrants should be given to the POJK DPs; such as monthly cash doles, ration money, exemption from income tax, reservation for wards in professional and technical colleges of the country etc.
That for grant of State Subject Certificates to POJK DPs living outside the State, conditions like Ration Card, Entry in Voters List and Municipal records etc. should be omitted. The PRC should be issued on the basis of PRC of a relation or parent and where needed even on the basis of supporting documents like affidavit from another fellow POJK DPs. Since such issues have remained unattended, some P O J K DPs had gone outside J&K for bread earning and no information regarding those people have collected by J&K Government / GOI. The procedure will have to be made simple for such cases. Since almost all DPs are living in Jammu Region and outside J&K, Divisional Commissioner Jammu be made the nodal officer for the purpose. That the displaced person from POJK should be accorded Refugee Status so that all benefits under National and International Laws and Rules accrue to them. And above all LIBRATION OF P O J K (Our Mother Land) as promised through unanimous Parliament Resolution Of 1994.
THE LATEST
POSITION:-
The Government of J & K forwarded to the G O I Rehabilitation Package for One Time Full & Final settlement of the Claims of P O J K DPs & other categories vide Letter No.-Reb/Rehab/08/2011 Dtd.-20th October, 2014, but the same was returned vide G O I / MHA under Letter No.-31/1/2011-R & SO(Part II) Dtd.7th Nov,2014 directing the State Government to include West Pakistan Refugees also in the Package. However, Pressures mounted by P O J K refugees Sangharsh Morcha & Other Refugees Organisations & also in face of Assembly Elections in the State the G O I / MHA vide Letter No.-31/1/2011-R & SO(Part II) Dtd.-21st Nov,2014 asked the State Government for curtain clarifications and also stating that package of West Pakistan Refugees 1947 will be considered separately.
The State Government on the floor of the house in reply to a question by one MLA stated on 6th April,2015 that the PDP /BJP Coalition Government has yet not started any exercise to clear the observation made by the G O I. The seriousness of the Government Can there fore be gauged in this respect.
Through these columns a request is once again made not only to the State Government /G O I but also to the social organisations and Human Rights Organisation to look into the matters and provide a soothing balm to these victimised communities of the P O J K refugees whose 4th generation is suffering. This is the appropriate time to remind Shri Narender Damodar Dass Modi Hon'ble Prime Minister of India a Sent & Karmyogi, his commitment made during his speech at Vijaypur (Jammu) during election campaign in the State.
The Author is a native of Kotli (P O J K ) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
