Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 21: National Panthers Party president Prof Bhim Singh has said that nearly 38,000 kanal of land of the refugees from Chhamb and Deva Batala (1965-71) has been taken over by the State Government reducing these refugee farmers homeless and landless forcing them to starvation and now they have resolved to march towards Rashtrapati Bhawan and stage dharna in New Delhi.
Prof Singh, who along with his team was on the tour of the border areas of Khour, Jourian and Pallanwalla, addressed meetings and listened to the issues of the refugees. Prof Singh said that he will take up their case with the President and the Prime Minister and asked them to move to the Union Capital and sit on dharna along with him there. The NPP supremo said that he will fight for their cause and ensure that justice is done to them because they have suffered due to migration from PoK in 1947 and again in 1965 and 1971 because of Pakistan aggression.
Prof Singh questioned the bonafide of the Central Government to vacate Chhamb and Deva Batala in 1965 and surrendering entire Chhamb Sector to Pakistan. The NPP leader accused the State and Central Governments of the miseries and untold story of oppression and brutalities met by these refugees who have been living a miserable life in different parts of Jammu region without any social or economic security. Prof Singh also urged the Prime Minister for his intervention so that the occupied agricultural land by the administration is cleared of mines and explosive substance so that the refugees can utilize the land for their farming activities.
The NPP leader further criticized the Congress leadership for the alleged inhuman treatment being meted out to the farmers of Akhnoor tehsil and regretted that Khour-Jourian and Pallanwalla have not been notified as separate Revenue block as was recommended by the Wazir Commission.