Govt should come clear on land ownership rights to 1965, 71 refugees: Manmohan

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 16: President All India Jat Maha Sabha (AIJMS), Ch Manmohan Singh on Friday appealed to the Government to clear its plans on ownership rights to refugees who were allotted land chunks in 1965 and 1971 after they migrated from Chhamb and other areas.
Quoting media reports claiming that already the process of giving ownership rights to refugees of 1947 from West Pakistan has been initiated as the UT Revenue Department is collecting details of those families which come under this criterion, AIJMS president expressed apprehension that a refugee from Pakistan is a refuge and he/she should not be discriminated.
He said that nod for ownership rights to West Pak Refugees after both the UT Government and MHA mulled over the issue is nothing but prejudice towards the refugees of 1965 and 1971 because their sacrifice is not less and those sitting at helm should not discriminate this segment.
He said that Government should make public its stance over the ownership rights to 1965 and 1971 refugees because Jat Maha Sabha is fighting for their rights and it will not allow injustice to this hapless community because woes of these refugees are no less than that of those who left their homes and hearth in 1947.
Talking specifically over the issue of Jats, the AIJMS President said that custodian land allotted to Jat community has come under UT and Central projects like Ring Roads and national highway but due to denial of ownership rights the Jat community has been deprived of the compensation, which is injustice and therefore is unacceptable.