Early Times Report
Kathua, Sept 25: About half a dozen national leaders including state president Jugal Kishore Sharma, State Prabhari Avinash Rai Khanna, beside others will join BJP's five day "Refugee Adhikar Yatra", which will be flagged off by BJP leader Prem Dhumal. This was disclosed by BJP State General Secretary Rajiv Jasrotia while addressing media persons at Kathua.
Rajiv Jasrotia, who is overall Incharge of the Yatra, said that the 5-day Yatra will commence on October 2 from village Keerian Gandyal in Kathua district and after passing through about 50 villages, housing the population of refugees and covering three districts of Jammu Province namely Kathua, Samba, and Jammu it will culminate at Jammu on October 6, 2013.
Briefing about the motive to organize "Refugee Adhikar Yatra", Jasrotia said that Jammu province has 10-12 lakh refugees who are living in almost border areas on Kathua to Poonch stretch.
Refugees from West Pakistan have been deprived of citizenship right, right to education, right to employment in government sector and right to vote in state assembly. Similarly, refugees from POK have not been adequately compensated for the properties left in Pakistan occupied areas of Jammu & Kashmir, 24 seats which have been kept reserved for POK refugees have not been filled, and ownership rights of evacuee properties in their possession have not been granted.
The successive state governments in J&K after 1947 only provided lip service to these refugees but did not take any constitutional initiative to recommend to the union government for grant of rights. Appealing the refugees to join BJP's Yatra, Jasrotia expressed hope that it will succeed in exerting pressure on the government to wake up and be serious in granting rights to refugees of what they have been deprived for decades.
District president Advocate Vijay Kumar, Narender Jasrotia, Gopal Mahajan Prem Dogra, Prof. Sain Dass, and Ragunandhan Singh Bablu were also present on the occasion. |
