The two and half-decade strife in Jammu and Kashmir has left the militancy affected people of Jammu region unheard and neglected. They are the worst affected ones and no less than militancy-hit Kashmir people. But they remained neglected in terms of relief and rehabilitation and other developmental schemes by the subsequent governments. The worst affected areas of the Jammu region include far off places of Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Udhampur, Reasi, Kathua, Rajouri and Poonch forcing large scale migration. But till date the State Government has not come out with any rehabilitation scheme. Number of widows, orphans, disabled ones may not be less as compared to Kashmir region but their rehabilitation has remained a far off dream. In terms of economic health this section is a marginal one with small land holdings and most of them are in agriculture. Time-to-time demand to bring them under migrant category has been raised in State Assembly and even the State High Court too intervened so that they also become beneficiaries of assistance extended by the government but till date they continue to remain neglected. The government does not have separate department for this section of militancy affected in Jammu region on the lines of Relief Commissioner for Kashmir. In spite of the rulings of Supreme Court, the State Government has not considered the victims of Jammu province. The Apex Court issued notice to the Jammu and Kashmir Government through the State’s Relief Commissioner to provide relief to the migrants of Jammu Province at par with Kashmiri migrants but the State Government has deliberately ignored the rulings and nothing has been done for them. On a conservative estimate the directly or indirectly militancy affected in the region is estimated over five lakh and a large number of this population despite all hardships never left their hearth. Unfortunately the state Government has not come out with any policy till date for this marginal segment. Now at least the government should rethink of extending a helping hand to them instead of concentrating on unproductive
projects .
