Say they attained independence now in real sense
Gopal Sharma
AKHNOOR, Nov 28: Nearly 1.5 lakh West Pakistani refugees, who got the right to vote in the elections in J&K for the first time after a long struggle of over 70 years, have expressed that ultimately justice has been done to them after wait of decades and they have now attained the independence in real sense.
Enthusiasm was very high among the West Pak refugee voters at several polling booths in Maira Mandrian, Kot Ghari and Akhnoor areas in district Jammu today as they were exercising their right to vote in the maiden District Development Council (DDC) polls and Panchayat by-elections, the first democratic exercise in Jammu and Kashmir after it was converted into the Union Territory on August 5, last year.
Some elderly women and men waiting in long queues outside polling booths, were found nearly in tears while narrating their long struggle and injustice they metted out during last over seven decades due to denial of voting rights and Government jobs to their wards due to the conspiracy of a few Kashmir based local political parties. They said ultimately they have got justice after long struggle of 70 years and the independence in real sense today.
Pertinent to mention here that with the abrogation of Article 370, several communities like West Pakistan refugees, Gurkhas and Valmikis are now eligible to vote in local elections, purchase land and apply for Government jobs in Jammu and Kashmir and besides these, they can also contest elections. On August 5, 2019, the Union Government revoked the special status of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State and bifurcated it into two UTs, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Pritam Chand (88), a West Pakistan refugee voter now settled in Akhnoor said, “I was not expecting to get justice during his life as after 70 years of struggle we had achieved nothing. Many Govts came, gave false assurances and vanished. No one bothered about the miseries of refugees. Our children’s fate was dark. We being non-state subjects were not able to get Govt jobs and admission in professional colleges. Some of the youth had only option to get recruited in Army or Central Para Military forces. The refugee children were reluctant to continue their studies, on the plea that what is the fun to study when they are not going to get any job or seat in professional institutions. Our future is bright now. I am unable to express my happiness on this occasion.”
“We have heard the words equality, justice and liberty and today we are feeling the true meaning of these words,” said Sujati Bharti, a young voter from the West Pakistan refugee community, standing in a queue outside a polling station at Kot Ghari near Akhnoor town. She extended gratitude to the Modi Govt for its decision to scrap Article 370 in J&K. She expressed that West Pak refugees were exercising their right to vote in local elections after a long wait of 70 years. ” I feel liberated as I stood in queue with permanent resident. Justice has finally been granted after an over seven-decade-long struggle,” Bharti added.
It is pertinent to mention here that except for Parliamentary elections, West Pak refugees were till last year, barred in Jammu and Kashmir from voting in Assembly, Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies elections.
Another refugee voter, Banarsi Dass near Maira Mandrian said that he did not want to remember the past and instead pinned hopes on a bright future in which his grandchildren could get jobs without moving outside. He stated that most of the refugee children are not highly educated as they had no hope of getting good jobs or admissions in MBBS or Engineering colleges etc. but today our people are feeling empowered. Moreover, nobody used to come to our places to seek votes. But today, every candidate came to their doors for seeking support.
Meanwhile, a bridegroom cast his vote at Kot Gharhi polling station near Akhnoor today. Clad in his wedding dress with a sword in hand and money garlands hanging around his neck, 27-year-old Mangat Ram excercised his franchise at the polling station near his home. The youth said he did not want to miss this chance as his community (refugee) was getting this chance after a long wait of 70 years. He was accompanied by some of his relatives and friends including women and children at the polling station.
” Our elders died waiting for this historic day over the past seven decades. I am feeling happy to be alive to see this happening in front of my eyes,” the bridegroom said.
Labba Ram Gandhi, leader of the community, who waged long struggle for the justice and led from the front said, there are over 80,000 voters of West Pakstan refugees’ whose over all population is nearly 1.50 lakhs. He said most of the West Pakistan refugee families, after migrating from Pakistan during the partition, were settled in Akhnoor, Pargwal, Marh, R S Pura, Bishnah, Arnia, Ramgarh, Samba, Hiranagar and parts of Kathua in Jammu province. About 22,000 West Pak refugee families were registered with the Govt at that time and now their number has increased.
Gandhi said they had no voting right in local/State elections, right to contest elections, seek Government job. The BJP Govt after abrogation of Article 370, has provided them justice after long wait. “Today our people are very happy to exercise their right to vote for the first time and reaching out to the polling booths with great enthusiasm. The future of our children is appearing bright now and they have also started taking interest in their studies, which they were not taking earlier,” Gandhi maintained.
He regretted that his community had proposed three candidates to contest DDC elections but the BJP denied them ticket despite assurance. Even for the post of Sarpanch in Pargwal, the party denied mandate to one of their members, he added.
Chuni Lal, another voter said he was hopeful that the maiden DDC elections would strengthen the Panchayati Raj system after successful conclusion of the Block Development Council elections and also pave way for early Assembly elections in J&K.
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