Can anyone tell how many families were disturbed due to militant threats in remote areas of Jammu region
By Daya Sagar
In addition to migrants from Kashmir region a very large area and population of remote areas of Jammu region too have been under the pressures / threats of militants right since 1990. Many people of these remote areas depend on the forest, pastures for their livelihood and comprise of Gujjars, Bakerwals, Gaddies and the like more exposed to physical dangers from the militancy. No doubt the Hindu there is more distressed and scared but even some Muslim majority pockets in the remote areas of Doda, Kishtwar, Udhampur, Rajouri, Poonch, and like are helplessly living there uncared over last two decades for being educationally/ administratively/ economically the weakest. Some people (including Muslims) may not be moving out from these areas since they may not be hoping for better economic activity and care outside. Some of them did flee from their homes / migrate to other areas but since they were poor, illiterate, lesser educated, non government service class they could not project their plight. It was on 9th March 2006 that National Conference MLC, Bashir Ahmad Naaz pleaded on the floor of Legislature for granting migrant status like Kashmiri Pundit Migrants to residents of Doda, Rajouri and Poonch. Naz went to the extent of saying that despite Court direction the migrants of these areas have not been treated fairly. The protests and demands are still being heard even in 2017.
The miseries of the Hindu migrants belonging to Kashmir valley who were made to run for life in 1989 added a new chapter in the agony of displaced people of Jammu and Kashmir. Majority of the Kashmiri migrants 1989 are local Hindu and many could not move beyond Jammu due to socio- economic reasons and are staying camps / temporary colonies in Jammu & around.
How many people migrated from militancy affected areas or due to militant threats from areas in Jammu Region after 1989/1990 or how many migrated families went back finding no one caring for them, is not known? .
How many families are still migrant could be another question. As per reports on 14 August 1993; militants Hijacked bus No; JKU 2003 from Sarthal Morh (Kishtwar) and massacred 16 innocent passengers. A large number of people from Doda district had migrated to Chamba (Himachal Pradesh) in April May / June 1994 and it was only after the Inspector General Police Jammu and Divisional Commissioner visited them in first week of June 1994 that they returned on assurances.
What rehabilitation package they were given could be still a question. These incidents are quoted here just to show that many areas outside Kashmir Valley too got hit by terrorist culture at the times when Kashmir Valley was hit.
There is no separate department created by J&K Government or GOI for looking after the needs of the militancy affected families of Jammu region like Relief Commissioner (Kashmir Migrants). Number of widows, children /who had lost their parents, totally disabled persons waiting for rehabilitation, number of students who abandoned their schools and women who lost their honor due to terrorist acts in distant areas of Doda ( Kishtwar, Ramban), Udhampur (Reasi), Kathua, Rajouri, Poonch may not be less alarming once the data is consolidated by the governemnt. Some people even allege that many people of these areas have not moved out of their homes and have instead dared to stay back since they expected no support from Government like that given to Kashmiri migrants.
Earlier also these distant and remote areas in Jammu Region have been facing all round economic neglect. And after 1990 discrimination with / neglect of the militancy affected people has added to more of resentments. People of these areas have been demanding a separate Relief Commssioner. But their demands have not been taken care. They allege that they have been and are being discriminated since they belong to areas outside Kashmir Valley. Common of kashmir valley can be technically nowhere held responsible for the neglect since it has been more due to the unconcern of the political leadership but the way resentments have grown amongst the innocent masses it has to some extent also contributed to inter regional conflicting opinion making It still time to take the affairs with compassion and concernedness.
To be continued
(Daya Sagar is a Sr Journalist and a social activist can be reached at [email protected])
