x

Like our Facebook Page

   
Early Times Newspaper Jammu, Leading Newspaper Jammu
 
Breaking News :   At Mumbai NC, PDP vow to fight BJP but in Kashmir, both are fighting against each other | After refusing to accommodate PDP, Omar says PAGD ‘intact’ | ‘Will stop construction of Maha Bhawan after coming to power’ | Rahul’s ‘fight with Shakti’ remark backfires on Congress | LG meets family members of missing Jammu seaman | Major fire erupts in Zabarwan hills | ‘4 June Ko 400 Paar...’: PM Modi urges Karnataka people to vote for BJP | Govt sets up tribunals to adjudicate ban | SIA files chargesheet against 2 narco-terror financers | Man killed in Doda accident | Cattle smuggler slapped with PSA | Ek Zaria, World’s first cashless NGO, organizes a free medical camp in Ramgarh | Hammer Ball Association of Jammu & Kashmir established | Doda police held husband -wife with heroin, huge cash | Dgp ‘s chairs public darbar at DPL Doda | Police organizes Awareness Program on New Criminal Laws at GDC Kishtwar | Absconder evading arrest for 3 years held | Election Fever | Gujjars, Bakerwals, Paharis, OBCs get justice in Modi Govt: Ravinder Raina | ECI team reviews election preparedness at Leh | Returning Officer holds interactive session with Flying Squad teams | Unsettled borders most formidable challenge for India: CDS | NDA finalises seat share deal in Bihar for LS polls, BJP to contest 17 seats, JDU on 16 | Strengthening Indo-US Defence Ties: Rajnath Singh's Talks with US Defence Secretary | ED raids 10 locations in Delhi-NCR in fake cancer drugs case | For Travelers! Lucknow-Dehradun Vande Bharat Express to start from March 26 | SKUAST organises Woman Health Awareness programme on Menstrual Hygiene | Apni Party exploring possibility to forge pre-poll alliance in Lok Sabha election | KDA calls for half-day strike in Kargil | No power can defeat divine 'Shakti', Rahul's remark childish: Kavinder | DM mandates weapon deposit for 4914 Arms Licence holders | Media Certification & Monitoring Committee to pre-certify political advertisements | DEO chairs meeting with Political Parties ahead of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 | DEO chairs meeting with Nodal Officers on Election preparedness | DEO Ganderbal chairs meeting with Political Parties | CAT DB reserves one post for applicant facing domestic violence charges | Lok Sabha Election-2024: DEO briefs banks regarding monitoring of Election Expenditure | Lok Sabha Elections-2024: DEO bans advertisements at cost of public exchequer | Adhere to MCC: DEO, holds meet with political party representatives | DEO reviews preparations for Lok Sabha Elections 2024 | Lok Sabha Elections-2024: DEO chairs meeting with Political Parties | DEO Budgam reviews preparations for upcoming Lok Sabha elections | Lok Sabha Election 2024: DEO holds press conference | GCoE, IASE organises '4 days Martial Art Camp' for female students of college | SVEEP Cell Kulgam engages Young Voters through varied Awareness Activities | CEO issues guidelines for Printers, Publishers of J&K | RO-4 Udhampur PC chairs meeting with political parties | Forest Department organizes pre-event to celebrate 'International Day of Forests' | Returning Officer Udhampur PC held interactive session with Flying Squad teams | PPS Nabha on Education trip to IISER | India's Culture rooted in Sanskrit only - Prof. Shreedhar Mishra | NYK organises District Level Neighbourhood Youth Parliament | Guru Ravidas ji light for people immersed in darkness: Swami Gurdeep Giri ji | Revival of Wool, Cottage Industry: One day training cum field demonstration program at Basohli | NCC Units of GDC Paloura organises All Indian Kick - Boxing Championship | Dr K C Sharma presented paper | National College of Education celebrates World Consumer Rights Day | Jodhamal Juniors celebrate "Graduation Day" | Back Issues  
 
news details
'Last wish fulfilled': West Pakistan refugees on exercising franchise first time
12/4/2020 11:34:04 PM
Early Times Report

Chakjafar, Dec 4: Tears well up in the eyes of 87-year-old Lal Chand and his 82-year-old wife Trivita as they hold up their inked fingers after casting their votes in the third phase of District Development Council (DDC) elections at a polling station here on Friday. "Today, our wish to vote once in our lifetime was fulfilled," said the couple in unison.
Chand and his wife are West Pakistan refugees who fled to India during the Partition in 1947. They along with nearly 1.50 lakh others became eligible to vote in Jammu and Kashmir's local elections after the Centre abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution on August 5 last year, paving the way for granting them domicile status. "This is first time in my life that I have cast a vote," said Chand, who was just 14 years old when he fled from West Pakistan in 1947.
"Our last wish has been fulfilled," he said. Chand and Trivita weren't the only ones ecstatic to have exercised their franchise.
Their village, Chak Jaffar, home to several other West Pakistan refugees, wore a festive look. People, old and young, danced to drum beats as they celebrated "independence" and shedding the "unwanted citizens" tag. President of Pakistan Refugees Action Committee Laba Ram Gandhi led the celebrations and danced with other members of the community.
"We are very happy to have voted in these elections. It is a message to the entire country that justice has been done to us after seven decades. We got our independence today," Gandhi said. The villagers thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for giving them their rights.
"We thank Modi ji and Amit Shah ji. They have done justice with us. We were living as unwanted citizens of Jammu and Kashmir. We had no rights, from voting to getting jobs. Now we are proud citizens of Jammu and Kashmir. Now our children will get all the rights," a villager, Sukh Ram, 80, said. "It feels like a rebirth for us. It seems like we have started a new life. It is all because of the prime minister," he said.
Another villager, Asha Devi, said, "Now our children will not live a miserable life as we did. They will have rights to vote, jobs, education and own property." Till August 5 last year, except for parliamentary elections, these refugees were barred from voting in Jammu and Kashmir's assembly, panchayat and urban local body polls. The refugees, who migrated from parts of west Punjab and Gujarat that are now in Pakistan, were also barred from government jobs, scholarships and admission in colleges, welfare schemes, and right to own land.
The refugee youths are mostly illiterate and earn their livelihood by working as labourers in agriculture fields in border belts of R S Pura, Samba, Hiranagar and Jammu, while the elderly work as domestic help. After the scrapping of Article 370 last year, West Pakistan refugees can not only vote in local elections but also contest polls.
  Share This News with Your Friends on Social Network  
  Comment on this Story  
 
 
 
Early Times Android App
STOCK UPDATE
  
BSE Sensex
NSE Nifty
 
CRICKET UPDATE
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
Home About Us Top Stories Local News National News Sports News Opinion Editorial ET Cetra Advertise with Us ET E-paper
 
 
J&K RELATED WEBSITES
J&K Govt. Official website
Jammu Kashmir Tourism
JKTDC
Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board
Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board
Shri Shiv Khori Shrine Board
UTILITY
Train Enquiry
IRCTC
Matavaishnodevi
BSNL
Jammu Kashmir Bank
State Bank of India
PUBLIC INTEREST
Passport Department
Income Tax Department
JK CAMPA
JK GAD
IT Education
Web Site Design Services
EDUCATION
Jammu University
Jammu University Results
JKBOSE
Kashmir University
IGNOU Jammu Center
SMVDU