early times report
Jammu, Feb 5: The 1947 POK refugees have termed the recent decision of centre government to enhance monthly cash assistance to displaced families from Kashmir valley from Rs 5000 to Rs 6600 is a step which needs close study and scrutiny.
"This can be rated as a welcome step as it is assistance to valley migrants who had to leave their homes in 1989-90. But when we consider it with reference to POK-1947 displaced families who had to leave their homes due to the tribal raid of 1947, this order seems discriminatory, biased and highly frustrating," a statement from the refugees said.
"The basic fundamental principle of 'Equality and Justice' has been kept under carpet. Valley migrants are being paid monthly cash doles, free rations, free accommodation in satellite town specially built for them with all basic amenities, Income-tax rebates, reserve quota for their wards in technical institutions in and outside the state in whole of the country, special employment and rehabilitation packages. However, displaced families particularly POK-1947 from Muza-ffrabad, Poonch, Mirpur and Deva-Batala, even after lapse of more than six decades, are still facing apathy of the Union as well as state government," they alleged.
The refugees said that they were still living in refugee camps under abject poverty, unhygienic conditions, suffering from untold miseries and ailments. "No free ration is given to us, no reservation ever for our wards in technical institutions, no income-tax rebate ever, never ever any special employment package, except one very petty ex-gratia of Rs 3500 out of which Rs 2500 had been deducted by the state government as cost of land /house allotted to us," they said. "We, MJR47, ' Movement for Justice for Refugees of 1947 from POK' appeal to the government that while passing such relief orders, all categories of displaced families may it be from valley or POK-1947 refugees(DP's) , refugees from Chhamb and other areas of the state need to be given equal treatment for the sake of justice as also considering it a case of living human beings who are eligible for equality and justice," they appealed.
"If Union Govt. claims POK as an integral part of India, we support this claim, but when will government of India get this area retrieved from illegal occupation is a million dollar question. If government can't get the areas retrieved why it is making 1.25 million DP's suffer without their fault for the last sixty six years," they asked.
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