STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: SOS International – An Organization for PoK Displaced Persons observed Black Day to honour the martyrs who sacrificed their lives defending Jammu & Kashmir from the Pakistani Army and tribal invaders on October 22, 1947. Participants from Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Poonch, and Gilgit paid floral tributes, followed by a two-minute silence and Sarva Dharma Prarthana in memory of those who resisted the invasion.
Chairman Rajiv Chuni, along with prominent voices including VK Datta, Ved Raj Bali, Bhai Ram Singh, Amarjeet Singh, Jagjit Singh, Daleep Singh Chib, and Dharam Vir Gupta, addressed the emotionally charged gathering.
Chuni said the first bullet to resist the invaders was fired by a PoK displaced person, yet 70,000 unarmed civilians were butchered, and countless women were abducted and raped during what he described as J&K’s darkest day.
“We are the saviours of Jammu & Kashmir, but three generations of PoK DPs have been left to rot in unhygienic camps for eight decades,” Chuni declared. He criticized the government for not fully implementing the 2016 relief package recommended by the Omar Abdullah-led government. Of the Rs 9,096 crore package, only Rs 2,000 crore was sanctioned, and just Rs 1,200 crore disbursed. The remaining funds, jobs, and educational benefits remain elusive.
Mocking India’s claim over PoK, Chuni questioned the government’s inaction against China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects on ancestral lands. “If PoK is ours, why allow railway lines and dams there?” he asked.
He also denounced the discriminatory treatment of PoK DPs post-abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A. “Valley migrants benefited from central schemes, visits from top officials, and satellite towns. PoK DPs got nothing.”
Demands included eight reserved assembly seats, a PoK DPs Development Board, smart ID cards, and satellite townships, along with youth recruitment in national services.
Speakers Jagjit Singh and Dharam Vir Gupta emphasized the need to preserve PoK DP culture, enhance education, and recognize their patriotism to strengthen India’s national fabric.