x

Like our Facebook Page

   
Early Times Newspaper Jammu, Leading Newspaper Jammu
 
Breaking News :   Terrorist country Pak wants to derail J&K’s development journey: LG Sinha | LG visits Nunwan base camp, interacts with pilgrims, officials, others | RSS to reach every home during centenary year | Op Sindoor led to increase in demand for indigenous defence products: Rajnath Singh | Army, Defence Minister pay tribute to Capt Batra | Azad unofficially disbands DPAP as key leaders desert party! | Pahalgam terror attack: NIA gets custody of 2 accused for 10 more days | Day 5: 23,857 pilgrims pay obeisance, figure crosses 90,000 mark | 3 yatris among 4 injured in Anantnag accident | Court rejects bail of woman involved in terror activities | BSF jawan shoots himself dead | 2 civilians stranded on landslide-hit road rescued | Kashmir: Schools to reopen today | Mission Director HADP inaugurates capacity building programme of FPO’s | Conduct of Medical Patrol for Awam at Songri, Rajouri | Ex-Servicemen Rally, outreach Program conducted | Shri Amar Kshatriya Rajput Sabha holds meeting | Awareness Camp organized under Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Utkarsh Abhiyan | Take Modi government’s 11 years of achievements to every household: Balbir | Empowering Voices of Justice: National Gurjar Advocates Conference held | Two-day Shoulder Rehabilitation workshop organises | DLSA Srinagar organizes awareness programme on drug abuse | Amarnath Yatra a spiritual & religious journey | Invisible Walls | Parched Paradise: Scorching heat dries up Kashmir’s Summer Charm | LG Sinha’s Rallying Call | BNI J&K hosts 4th edition, uniting 300 business leaders from across India, honoring top | One notorious drug peddler nabbed by Jammu Police | Himachal Rains: Rescue Operations On To Trace 30 Missing After Cloudbursts, Landslips In Mandi | Police arrests a drug peddler from Bus Stand | BRO CE calls on Dy CM; discusses road infra in Jammu province | Adityanath pays tributes to Kargil martyr Captain Vikram Batra on death anniversary | Delhi Speaker meets Amit Shah, briefs about ongoing initiatives in Assembly | Youtuber Jyoti Malhotra's Judicial Custody Extended By 14 Days In Espionage Case | ISRO Chief Dr V Narayanan meets CM Yogi, explores dedicated satellite for Uttar Pradesh | 'Approval for Phase IV of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana will be given as per the state's proposal' - Shri Shivraj Singh | NFR Strengthens Safety Measures for Monsoon Operations | DIG JKS Range Shiv Kumar IPS conduct Security Review | HC dismissed petition with costs Rs 50000 | Elderly man loses Rs 73.72 lakh in gold trading draud after meeting woman on dating app | Luggage packed, will move out of official residence: Ex-CJI DY Chandrachud | Van Mahotsav 2025: Forest Dept to plant 3.5 crore saplings along riverbanks | Shrine Board Judokas to represent India at International Competitions | International recognition of cross-border terrorism validates India's stand: Kavinder Gupta | DC Kulgam takes review of Mission YUVA; assesses implementation, progress | Sheep Husbandry deptt organizes PMFME workshop/awareness programme | ABRSM delegation meets CEO Jammu, highlights teachers' key issues | Macadamization work begins on Tujjar Sharief to Zaingeer road, Baramulla | Over Rs.41 crore allocated under DDC, BDC, PRI & Aspirational Grants in Bandipora | PAC holds meet at Srinagar, discusses Audit Paras of HUDD | J&K Cine Association slams 'Hillywood' label as misleading and politically driven | UP CM orders strict action against those attempting to defile Kanwar Yatra | 5 of family murdered on suspicion of practising witchcraft in Bihar, oppn slams govt | PM Modi at BRICS, a global wake-up call against terrorism: Gaurav Gupta | Shiv Sena distributed poster to Amarnath pilgrims for 'Jammu-Darshan' | SBI hands over Rs 1.10 Crore DSP PAI claim to family of Martyr Rifleman Sunil Kumar | Mission Director HADP inaugurates five-day Capacity Building Programme for FPOs | Beating the heat wave and humidity, IGNOU flying squad teams charge into Exam Centres for on-the-spot monitoring | FVSc and AH, SKUAST-Jammu celebrates World Zoonoses Day- 2025 | Annual congregation of All India Rohmetra Mahajan Biradari on 10th , July | Bovine smuggling attempt foiled, 09 bovines rescued, in Latti | LIC of India introduces new Plans LIC's Nav Jeevan Shree (Plan 912) & LIC's Nav Jeevan Shree Single Premium (Plan 911) | 15-day Youth Development Programme on 'Premier Banker' inaugurates | Mechanical Engineering students of DBU developed "Multi-Utility Power Generating Kit" | 'Kala aur Atmanirbharta' culminates at MCM | Tanvi Sharma eyes junior titles before full-fledged senior switch | JKCCA appoints Dr Rekha Rani Sharma as Advisor | Pinegrove Director elected president BSAI | Aryaveer and Aaryavir: The Kohli, Sehwag connection at this year's DPL | Indian archers eye World Championship preparation at Madrid World Cup | 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