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WP Refugees and Nirmal committee Exercise in futility 3/27/2015 12:24:50 AM Early Times Report JAMMU, Mar 26: West Pakistan refugees, who have been struggling since 1947 to obtain citizenship rights in Jammu and Kashmir, should not expect that the BJP would do all that is required to be done in this regard. They are destined to lead a miserable life for many more years. It is true that patron of PDP and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed has set up a committee under senior BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Dr. Nirmal Singh to look into the issue of their "sustenance and livelihood". But it is also a fact that the committee is toothless; it has no mandate to consider their age-old genuine democratic demand seeking rehabilitation in the state as citizens of Jammu and Kashmir so that there is no disparity between them and others in the state. These refugees do not have the right to own immovable property in the state. Nor do they have the right to get service under the state government. Besides, they also do not have the right to vote in the assembly and local bodies' elections. Not only this, they cannot avail themselves of bank loan facility. In addition, their wards have no right to higher and technical education in the state-owned educational institutions, including medical and engineering colleges and the universities, including agricultural universities. The fact is that they are considered by the state government as worse than the brute. Whatever be the recommendations of the Dr Nirmal Singh committee, the fact remains that the West Pakistan refugees will not get citizenship rights in the state; they would only be Indian nationals in the state but not citizens of the state, who are entitled to exercise all rights which are available under the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution. Even the Governor's Address to the Joint-session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature on March 18 had made it clear that these abandoned refugees will not be granted citizenship rights. The state government would ensure that the wards of the refugees should get employment in private sector establishments, which they are already entitled to, the address had said. The BJP is part of the state government. It needs to bring on board the PDP so that the genuine demands of these refugees are conceded. They are not interested in a committee that has been asked to look into the issue of their "sustenance and livelihood". They are interesting only in one thing: Full citizenship rights. They consider the appointment of Dr Nirmal Singh committee as "an exercise in futility'.   Share This News with Your Friends on Social Network     Comment on this Story

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