Terming the move to confer State Subject status to West Pakistan refugees as violation of State laws itself is an irony for the people who aligned with India even after 65 years of Independence. Is it not the denial of their constitutional rights? Why should Kashmir feel troubled? For them there is no cut in relief they are getting in terms of reservation in jobs in government services in the State, educational facilities for their children in the State as well as outside. Because of the denial of this constitutional right West Pakistan refugees remained non- State Subjects and were not given permanent resident certificate in Jammu and Kashmir. The refugees have got the rights to vote in the Parliament polls and should also be given the rights to vote in the Legislative Assembly. The irony is that they are citizens of India and not State Subjects so no right to vote in Assembly elections and cannot buy property in the State. This ambiguity is the root cause of the issue which has been bogged down for over six decades. Some section of separatists described the Centre’s move as “forcible integration and assimilation of the internationally disputed State”. Those who left West Pakistan in the aftermath of partition came to India, the country where they felt their lives would be safe. They believed that Jammu and Kashmir was India and if they came to the State either temporarily or permanently, they thought they were in Indian Union. There should have been an amendment in the Constitution of J and K stipulating that the people of the erstwhile J and K State who have migrated to West Pakistan have lost their State Subject-hood. This has not been done. But the refugees from West Pakistan are denied Domicile Certificate. This is totally unjust and unacceptable.
