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| Exploiting WP refugees for electoral gains | | |
As has been happening in the past over
50 years it has happened the other day
too when the problems of refugees from West Pakistan,who have settled in parts of Jammu since 1947-48,came to light during the visit of the members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee(PSC) on Home Affairs to the state's winter capital.What is amazing is the way their problems get highlighted just a year or a few months before the Lok Sabha elections.And this is what one has been experienced the other day when leaders of West Pakistan refugee Association had a detailed session with the PSC members.May be it was part of coincidence that PSC members found time to visit Jammu for getting acquainted with the problems of West Pakistan refugees,refugees from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and Kashmir. migrants when the Lok Sabha election is due next year.Another startling disclosure made by the West Pakistan Refugees Action Ccommittee pertains to total unawareness of majority of PSC members about the prolonged plight of these hapless souls.Despite this ignorance on the part of the PS C members about the pitiable living of these refugees leaders belonging to the state unit of the Congress have been,during all these years,claiming that they have apprised the central Government about issues that is linked with proper rehabilitation of West Pakistan and POK refugees.It seems that the Congress leaders from the Jammu region had organized the visit of the PSC members because of the fact that the party is contesting both the Lok Sabha seats in the region.These two seats have been won by the Congress candidates during the last about 20 years and since the West Pakistan refugees can vote during the Lok Sabha election,not in the Assembly poll,the congress thought it advisable to keep them in good humour.
What seems to have surprised a majority of the members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) on Home Affairs, was the failure of the political leadership in the state in projecting refugees problems.They were unaware of the the level of problems these displaced people faced because they were being denied basic fundamental rights for the past six decades by the successive state governments.A majority of the PSC members were surprised when Labha Ram,Chairman West Pakistan Refugees Action Committee briefed the PSC members about plight of stateless West Pakistani refugees living in Jammu and Kashmir since 1947. Gandhi along with the representatives of refugees from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), Kashmiri migrants and victims of terrorism affected people held detailed discussions with member of PSC in Jammu the other day.Intervention of the PSC has rekindled hope among West Pakistani refugees because representatives of almost all political parties were present during the deliberations. Gandhi has claimed that it was for the the first time elected representatives of all political parties were informed about these refugees and they assured to take some concrete step to solve this problem once and for all. He said the PSC members had sought a response from the state government on the issue of the refugees.
Yes,political leaders in the country may support the demand of West Pak refugees for grant of citizenship rights but the state const it ution continues to oppose any move to given the refugees all their fundamental rights.These rights stand usurped in the sence they neither can vote for Assembly poll,nor seek state Government jobs,nor apply for admission in professional colleges,nor buy any immovable property within the state.Hence for granting all these fundamental right the state constitution or to be precise the State Subject Law needs to be amended and for any amendment the bill has to get the support from a t wo-third majority in the state legislature.Even if the Congress,the BJP and the Panthers Party join hands while supporting the amendment bill they cannot muster a two-third majority.For this the amendment bill has to get the nod from the PDP and the NC.Unfortunately both the valley centric PDP and the NC are opposed to the demand for grant of citizenship rights to these refugees from West Pakistan.The matter is going to gather dust even in the face of assurances given to the refugees by the PSC members.Only firm intervention by the centre can motivate the two main region nal parties,the PDP and the NC to support the demands of the West Pak refugees.And till this materializes political leaders may not hesitate exploiting these refguees of v arious hues ffor their electoral gains. |
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