A LOOK THROUGH THE MIST
The very large area of Jammu & Kashmir had been occupied by ‘Pakistan’ in 1947 even after the state acceeded to India . It was 30 days after the Prince (Maharaja) of Jammu & Kashmir (a princely state of erstwhile British Indian Empire) had signed the instrument of accession to be part of India dominion on 25th November 1947 Mirpur town of the state was finally abondoned by nearly total local non muslim population in the aftermath of the tribal attack aided and abetted by Pakistan.
A large population from the ‘Pakistan’ occupied areas had moved to the unoccupied areas of state and some had crossed over to other Indian states. Government of India has all these years been denying the payment of claims of the properties / assets left behind by the displaced persons from Pakistan occipied areas (POJK DPs) suggesting that government of India will one day get the occupied areas vacated thereby facilitating the return of these displaced families back to their hearths. So far the return of POJK DPs has not been possible and instead some more area of the state was handed over by Government of India to Pakistan in 1972.
A sub-committee of a Parliamentary Committee on Action Taken on 137th Report on Rehabilitation of J & K Migrants of Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs (2013) with Rajiv Pratap Rudy MP as convener visited J&K in 2013 for interaction with affected people and State Government (183 Report : Problems Being Faced by Refugees and displaced persons in J & K (presented to Rajya Sabha on 22nd December, 2014) (laid on the table of Lok Sabha on 22nd December, 2014) and on going through the report it could be said that the Parliamentary sub committee of Home Ministry has to some extent felt the pains of the POJK DPs and at least after 22nd December 2014 there were enough leads in the report available for government of India worth appreciating the requirements and demands of the POJK DPs but even after 2014 no serious approach from the side of the government has been there to address the miseries of these ‘first victims’ of Pakistan aggression..
Para 1.3.1 of the 183rd report of department-related parliamentary standing committee on home affairs – problems being faced by refugees and displaced persons in J& K tabled in Rajay Sabha on 22 Dec 2014 says – Displaced Persons from POJK of 1947 The Ministry of Home Affairs apprised the Committee that in the wake of Pakistani aggression in Jammu and Kashmir in 1947, mass exodus of population from Pak occupied area of Kashmir (POK) took place. The Ministry of Home Affairs also stated that as per the available records, 31,619 families were registered with the Rehabilitation Organisation, out of which 26,319 families opted to settle down within the State itself and 5,300 families settled outside the State of J&K (Delhi 1,901 families, Maharashtra 123 families, Rajasthan 495 families and other States 2,781 families). Out of 26,319 families, around 22,719 families opted to settle in rural areas, whereas 3,600 families settled in urban areas. However, no claims for compensation in lieu of the properties left behind by these displaced persons were invited by the Government of India as POJK was treated as an integral part of India. The Displaced Persons (Compensation and Rehabilitation) Act, 1954 and the Administration of Evacuee Property Act, 1950 are not applicable to the State of Jammu and Kashmir. It has to be noted that The 183rd Report in its preface had said ” The previous Committee had constituted a sub-Committee on Action Taken on 137th Report on Rehabilitation of J & K Migrants . The sub-Committee visited Jammu and Kashmir from 5th to 7th November, 2013. During the visit, the sub-Committee had also occasion to meet representatives of Refugees and Displaced persons in Jammu and Kashmir also whose historical background and problems were found to be different from J& K Migrants. The sub-Committee apprised the Committee that it would be better if the Committee gave a separate report on the problems being faced by Refugees and Displaced Persons in J & K. Keeping in mind the complexity of the issues involved and nature of long pending grievances of the affected communities, the Committee decided to give a report on the subject separately. However, the previous Committee could not consider the report due to general elections, 2014″.
1947 POJK DPs should be taken as the first stake holder concerning J&K issues where as Kashmiri Pundits and even the separatists leaders do enjoy such cover and POJK DPs do not . It was in 1950 that Sheikh Mohd Abdullah the then PM of J&K ( vide order No. 1476-C of 1950 dated 16.12.1950 issued under his own signatures ) named these families as Displaced Persons while those who had left Jammu & Kashmir and gone to Pakistan ( West Punjab) on their own as migrants in the same order but it is regretted to say that the J&K Government authorities have not taken seriously even such like vital records.
With the change of guards at Delhi in May 2014 , the POJK DPs hoped that new Government may favorably attend to the problems of the POJK DPs who are the ‘First’ victims of the Pakistan Aggression but so far nothing substantial change in the policy and working methods has been seen on ground.
*(Daya Sagar is a Sr Journalist and a social activist can bereached at [email protected])
