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| Congress leadership stands divided, demands settlement of Refugees first | | Opening of Sialkote-Suchetgarh route | | early times report
Jammu, Nov 22: In what could snowball into a major political controversy, a section of Congress leadership here in Jammu and Kashmir is opposed to the opening of much ambitious Suchetgarh-Sialkote Road-connecting India and Pakistan at International Border.
While chief minister Omar Abdullah as well as former chief minister and patron of main opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) Mufti Mohammad Sayeed have wished for opening of Suchetgarh-Sialkote Road to further strengthen friendly ties with the people of neighbouring country through trades and visits from both sides, certain Congress leaders have a specific objection.
Sources in Congress party revealed Early Times that, "Congress leaders who have taken up the cause of settlement of the burning issues of refugees of 1947, 1965 and 1971 with the state government as well as central government, are in no mood to favour the opening of Sialkote-Suchetgarh Road till certain sensitive issues are resolved amicably."
"We are not against the opening of Sialkote-Suchetgarh Road but still governments both state and central must see the other aspect i.e. the miseries of refugees. First finalize the permanent settlement of this lot, which has increased in numbers in manifolds during past over five decades, then think of opening the road," shared a senior Congress leader who wished anonymity.
"Within the party, we (a chunk of leaders) are contemplating to meet party's national president Sonia Gandhi at New Delhi to discuss the issue threadbare as apprising both the factions including Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Pradesh Congress Committee president Saif-ud-Din Soz would get no significance for obvious reasons," the senior Congress leader rued.
However, when contacted party's senior leaders who remained Minister of State for Rural Development Department during previous coalition headed by Mufti Sayeed in 2002, Chowdhary Gharu Ram said that "issue of opening Sialkote-Suchetgarh Road and spreading positive ties with neighbouring country is a welcome step as it has been effected at Uri-Muzaffarbad road at LoC in Kashmir valley but there are very sensitive issues, which must be resolved first."
Chowdhary Gharu Ram, who represented border Constituency of Suchetgarh in 2002 further shared that "still the land of those people who opted to settle down in Pakistan has been preserved and protected by the government through various legislations. And the population that came to this side of border in 1947 is still hapless lot. The government has made local allotments to some section of refugees but still a big number has no right to purchase land here in J&K despite the fact that their fourth or fifth generation continues to live here."
Former Minister of State further apprehended that "if the route is opened before the settlement of said issues of refugees then there are chances that the kith and kin of those people from neighbouring country who left J&K and opted to settle down in Pakistan will come to this claiming return of their land and property. If it happens then where will the refugees go." He recalled that such incident had taken place in R S Pura sector in 1997/98. He said a family from Pakistan visited Chaoula village and claimed return of their ancestral property, which was already under the possession of a refugee family through local allotment. The issue led the entire border belt so tense that finally the state government had to purchase a separate piece of land to shift the local allottees from the said piece of land, which was handed over to the family from Pakistan.
"So, all the political parties must collectively come up with a decision of permanent solution for refugees before deciding for opening of Sialkote-Suchetgarh Road," he added.
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