Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 8: All J&K PoJK 1947 Sharnarthi/ Displaced Intellectual Forum has called for the establishment of a J&K Advisory Board for the development of PoJK displaced persons under the Department of Social Welfare.
Addressing a press conference, Forum president Advocate Amrik Singh highlighted the community’s decades-long struggle for justice and recognition, emphasizing their peaceful protests, including hunger strikes and rallies, to press for legitimate demands over the past 76 years.
The Forum pointed out that over 10 lakh people were displaced during the 1947 Pakistan aggression in Jammu and Kashmir, with more than 40,000 losing their lives and leaving behind immovable and movable properties in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). Despite this, the displaced community remains without proper claims or settlements, unlike families who fled Kashmir in 1989 due to militancy and received compensation. The meager ex-gratia relief of Rs 5.5 lakh per family has been the only aid provided to PoJK Sharnarthi families.
Advocate Amrik Singh argued that the constitution of an Advisory Board on the lines of the Pahari Speaking Advisory Board, established in 1989, is vital for the development of the PoJK displaced community. He proposed that such a board could facilitate various benefits, including hostels for boys and girls, scholarships, and the promotion of regional languages.
The Forum also demanded that PoJK displaced persons be recognized as stakeholders for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, citing their origins in Pahari-speaking areas. The current exclusion of PoJK displaced persons from such recognition was deemed discriminatory. Other key demands include admission for their children to professional colleges across India, similar to benefits provided to Kashmiri Pandits, the sanction of pending ex-gratia grants of Rs 24.5 lakh per family, and the regularization of unregistered Sharnarthi bastis.
The press conference was attended by prominent Forum members, including general secretary Surjit Singh, vice president Kuldeep Singh and several retired officials and intellectuals. They urged the Union Territory and Central Governments to address their long-pending demands.
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