Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 22: The displaced persons from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), under the banner of SOS International a leading organization for refugees, observed October 22 as black day, marking the anniversary of the 1947’s first attack on Muzaffarabad by Pakistani tribals and army.
During a commemorative event, a large gathering of Displaced Persons (DPs), including elders and women, assembled at Bakshi Nagar here to pay homage to the martyrs of Muzaffarabad who sacrificed their lives for the State and the Nation. Wearing black ribbons on their shoulders, the PoJK DPs protested against the tribal attacks on their ancestors and the successive government’s discriminatory policies towards PoJK refugees.
Speaking on the occasion, Rajiv Chuni, Chairman of SOS International, recalled that October 22 marks the day when tribal invaders hired by Pakistan launched their first attack on Hindus and Sikhs in Muzaffarabad, part of a conspiracy to alter the demography of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Thousands were killed, women were raped, and young women were abducted and their whereabouts are still not known. This is not just a black day for PoJK displaced persons; it is a black day for the entire Nation. The PoJK displaced persons were the first community in the State to endure such violence to resist the tribal attack,” Chuni stated.
The refugee leader said that following the attacks in Muzaffarabad, similar assaults occurred in Mirpur and Poonch, resulting in a continued genocide. Chuni expressed dismay that despite the supreme sacrifices of PoJK displaced persons, the Government’s approach towards displaced persons from PoJK has consistently been discriminatory and step-motherly, with successive regimes failing to address the genuine and legitimate issues of the community.
“It is particularly unfortunate that the Government has not accepted the recommendations from various committees established to resolve the legitimate demands of PoJK refugees. One key recommendation was to reserve eight out of the 24 vacant seats in the J&K Assembly for PoJK refugees, but this was overlooked, and only one seat has been allocated to our community. This single seat has also become a battleground for different political groups,” the refugee leader said.
“We have written to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, urging that a humanitarian approach be taken in nominating a person for this seat. We request that only a non-political individual or someone from an apolitical group be nominated,” he added.
Prominent among others who spoke on the occasion were Prof N N Sharma, VK Datta, Ved Raj Bali, Ram Singh, Arun Gupta, Harbans Sabharwal, Gouri Shankar, Lajya Wanti, Santosh Kumari and Bimla Devi.
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