By Daya Sagar
There have been a number of unfortunate incidents like that of January 8th 2013 (Poonch Sector J&K) that attracted the attention of the nation. Hem Raj’s body was ill treated / disrespected by Pakistan. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on 14th January even personally went to Hem Raj’s village to persuade Hem Raj’s wife Smt Dharamwati (28 ) and his mother Smt Meena Devi (55) to undo their fast for having received disfigured mortal remains of the ‘martyr’. This was a great gesture for the family of the ‘soldier’ who also extended a formal ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh for the family along with jobs for Hem Raj’s brothers Pooran Singh and Jai Singh. The UP Chief Minister also directed the authorities for drawing out a special development plan for Hem Raj’s village Shernagar. Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan had sent his PWD Minister Nagendra Singh to hand over a cheque of Rs.15 Lakh to Durga Devi wife of Shaheed Sudhakar Singh and convey the decision for allotment of plot for house as had already been announced by him on the day Sudhakar Singh was cremated (10th January).
The then Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh and Defence Minister had informed the family that Rs.46 Lakh package would soon be released in their favour. The then BJP president Nitin Gadkari, the then leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Swaraj and Rajnath Singh too visited the family. Financial assistances can not so simply make good the loss the Family and nation could suffer by losing martyrs like Hem Raj and Sudhakar Singh. One has to only imagine the agony of Dharamwati (28yrs) and Durga wives of both who have been widowed in their prime age. But still the gestures for sharing their grief through socio political support do apply some ‘balms’.
But even in 2013 the J&K Government could not offer any meaningful gestures for supporting the families of the martyrs.
In case the then Omar Abdullah Government was not in position to immediately offer jobs and place of residence due to State Subject laws /rules (1927 AD Hereditary Class?I & Class?II ) or J&K Permanent Resident of J&K provisions under Section-6 of J&K Constitution / Permanent Resident Certificate Rules ( 1963) the ‘Government’ could still at least become the first to visit such martyr’s families to express gratitude and as good will gesture offer some material ex-gratia but even that was not done what to talk of showing any intentions for offering ‘a home’ in J&K and permanent residents rights like right to vote in elections to J&K legislature, joining J&K State services and joining professional colleges owned by J&K Government to the Family of a martyr in near future what could have been done within a few days by taking leads
from the provisions of State Subject of Class -III of Maharaja Hari Singh’s times of pre independence days and provisions contained in Sections like 8,9,127 of J&K Constitution.
It could be a question that why even after 2013 such “suggestions” have not attracted the attention of the “Permanent Residents of J&K” and the people they have been sending to the State Legislature . Permanent Resident of J&K Laws and provisions have been generated by the “people of J&K” by taking leads in part from the “State Subject Laws/ Provisions” of Maharaja Hari Singh times but why have not the “people of J&K” taken leads from the provision of Class-III State Subject as well since that could take care of ‘needs’ of the like being discussed here? Is it not the time for the “Permanent Residents” of J&K to question their own self?
.… Continued
(Daya Sagar is a Senior journalist and a social activist can be reached at dayasagr45 @yahoo.com)