Jagjeet Singh Sudan
The Govt of India has presented the bill in Parliament for Reorganisation of the UTJK Assembly. The bill proposes 2-two assembly seats for Kashmiri Migrants, one male and one female member by nomination beside 90-assembly segments.
Further provision for only one seat by nomination has been kept for Refugees / Displaced Persons from POJK of 1947 and 1965-71.
The bill in the present form incurs grave injustice on the big chunk of around 14-15 lakh populace of POJK DPs and Sikh communities (3.5 lakhs) of UT J&K and bill is against the basic concept of representation to all.
SIKH REPRESENTATION: Giving seats to only Kashmiri-Migrants (mostly Pandits and negligible Sikhs and Muslims) who had to migrate from turbulent valley but ignoring the minority community of Sikhs of J&K including those residing in Kashmir and in Jammu province will be grave injustice and open discrimination to Sikh community having 3.5 lakh population.
The Sikhs of J&K have always stood for integrity of India whether by fighting PAK Army to defend the Kashmir in 1947, or by staying back in Kashmir valley during extreme militancy since 1980 at a cost of sacrificing more than 200 lives, 35 Sikhs were killed on a single day in Chittisinghpura massacre only. Sikhs of valley had also suffered killings of more than 4000 men, women and children during Tribal/Kabaily Raid in 1947. Needless to mention that on all fronts Sikh of J&K stood as true representatives of India , by staying back in valley all through the worst period of militancy.
It’s the Sikhs who did not allow ethnic cleansing and change of demography to be completed and leave behind one community presence in Kashmir through all odds and evens at a cost of sacrificing more than 200 souls even when Kashmiri Pandits migrated out of valley en-masse. Ignoring the minority community Sikhs especially of valley in this manner, when one community is being allowed benefits on sympathy basis reveals that blanket surrender is rewarded and another community is discriminated inspite of resisting the atrocities of militancy and keeping alive the spirit of nationalism in the valley .
This is in fact step motherly treatment to a community which actually fights for nationalism and stands with country. Needless to mention that Sikh community having population of 3.5 lakh can effect 25 assembly seats in UTJK . Equality and justice demands that Two seats be kept for Sikhs also , one for Sikhs of valley one for Jammu, which has equal population as that of population of Kashmiri Pandits and has suffered greater hardships in its survival since 1947 till date.
REPRESENTATION FOR DPs of 1947: Further it is to remind that due to the Tribal Raid-aided and abetted by Pak Army on 22nd Oct 1947 on the then State of J&K around 41,119 Hindu and Sikh families supposed to be registered after displacement had to leave their home and hearth and migrate from POJK areas under illegal occupation of Pakistan to this side for safety. In addition to this the DPs of 1965-’71 are 10065 families and that makes total of D Pp s families as 51,184 families. These DPs have a populace of around 14-15 lakhs ( 65% Hindus and 35% Sikhs) living in Jammu province mostly on the IB and LOC all along INDO-PAK border from Poonch to Kathua districts and in other states . These DPs have been struggling to get justice and to get permanent Relief & Rehabilitation since last seventy five years.
Lately a Deptt. Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs gave its recommendations vide its report No. 183 dt. 22nd Dec 2014. This report clearly makes recommendation to give 8-eight Assembly Seats to these DPs vide para 3.2.2 on page 24 under caption “Defreezeing of Seats in Legislative Assembly”.
Unfortunately this report is eating dust since in both the houses of Parliament. Not even a single recommendation of the report has been implemented till date. What is value of such PS if it’s recommendations are not implemented ? Is it not a mockery of the system and insult to the Parliamentary Committees ?
And now this bill in the present form , carrying a provision of only ONE seat against 10-12 seats as per their populace displaced from POJK , is bound to inflict further injustice , neglect and insult for future to the DPs so far already deprived of equality and justice for the last seven and a half decades.
Further it is unjust of the govt to compare the two catagories of DPs of 1947 and Migrants of 1989-90. Migrants’ from 1989-90 registered families are being updated as they are being paid monthly cash doles. Whereas no register of DPs families has ever been up dated till date. As mentioned in the bill Kashmiri Migrants have 46,517 registered families having 1,58,756 persons registered with the Relief Commissioner office . The number of family units of DPs of 1947 being in the 3rd and 4th generation has grown 12-15 times , as is evident from the small relief of Rs. 5.5 lakhs disbursed when many families got share of Rs 11,000- 30000 only when divided among the descendant claimant family units.
We have been demanding that fresh recount of descendant families of DPs be made but Govt has not done anything. As such the number of DPs families units today is around Rs 4,50,000 – 5,00,000 lakhs. Further about 14-15 lakh populace of Displaced Persons / DPs of 1947 from POJK which comprises of Hindus and Sikhs are not being given representation in Assembly on the basis of population displaced from POJK . The 24 assembly seats kept reserved for residents of POJK are already in count of total assembly seats of UT J&K, but still the govt appears not concerned for POJK DPs and appears intended to give such vacant seats only to people presently residing in POJK but not to DPs from POJK duly recognised as residents of POJK by GOI by all orders. It will again create assembly seats imbalance on population basis and also against the spirit on the basis of which 2-assembly seats are being allotted to Kashmiri Migrants. The Kashmiri Pandits have been allowed 2-assembly seats only on the analogy of dislocation and not giving 10-12 seats to POJK DPs will not only go against the spirit of said analogy but misunderstading the role of POJK DPs in recent future and when POJK will be acquired. Moreover whereas Valley Migrants have been visiting the valley as and when ever they want at their sweet will but we DPs cannot visit our ancestral homes in POJK . Political scenario when POJK will be retrieved: Assuming that when POJK will be retrieved by Govt of India, the POJK DPs comprising of Hindus and Sikhs are sure not get any representation in the assembly and all 24 seats kept vacant will be occupied by persons presently settled in POJK. The minute study of this situation contemplates allocation of 12 seats to DPs in the interest of nation. One seat out of 25 seats kept vacant in the beginning for POJK was since defreezed for creating Mendhar constituency in 1987-88. Allocating 12-seats for POJK DPs who are settled in Jammu province will help Jammuites establishing their strength. It would be worthwhile to mention that the DPs voters being placed scattered around in Jammu province have deciding voters in about 25-assembly segments and 2-two Parliamentary segments . The POJK DPs are the first Saviors of J&K state , fought the Pak Army / Tribal raiders to defend the State and faced genocide sacrificing more than 40,000 lives , dislocation, struggle, misery etc. for more than seven decades are being ignored . In 1947 before the Indian Army landed in Srinagar raiders had killed more than 4000 largely Sikhs in the valley only apart from those killed in POJK and unfortunately some Christian missionary nurses and staff and a few Muslim humanists also became victim of the brutal genocide by the raiders in the valley.
Through this note we appeal the Govt. to get the bill modified to give justice to this big chunk of populace , 3.5 lakh Sikhs and 15 lakh POJK DPs ,not only in their interest but in the interest of nation in future . Non-inclusion of these two sections will be biggest misunderstanding o the population chemistry.
DPs of 1947 are feeling highly frustrated due to the total inaction by the BJP rulers from whom they had high hopes at the time of 2014 general elections. The unprecedented victory of BJP on both of parliamentary seats of Jammu province and record winning assembly seats to be able to form state govt is clear proof that the DPs had voted en-masse in favour of BJP. But now after two terms of rule of BJP , the DPs strongly feel cheated and let down by BJP.
It is strongly demanded that the bill as said should be modified to grant at least two 2-assembly seats to Sikhs of Valley and Jammu province and for POJK DPs of 1947 , 8-10 seats be awarded whether in addition by nomination or by defreezing out of the remaining 24 seats kept reserved for POJK voters as stated above.
(The author is Convener MJR-47).
