By Daya Sagar
One hundred eighty third report on problems being faced by refugees and displaced persons in J & K was presented to Rajya Sabha on 22nd December, 2014 and also laid on the table of Lok Sabha on 22nd December 2014.The report was drawn by a sub-committee on Action Taken on 137th Report on Rehabilitation of J & K Migrants of Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs (2013) with Rajiv Pratap Rudy MP as convener that visited J&K during first week of September 2013 for interaction with affected people and State Government.
In this report also it was said at Para 3.2.1.4 that the Committee takes into account the fact that non-registered families are not given proper relief and compensation amount and is of the view that for that purpose, their fresh enumeration is necessary to understand the problems being faced by PoJK DPs and to have updated policy guidelines for them.
The Committee, therefore, recommended that the Government should take adequate steps immediately to ensure official registration of Displaced Persons from PoJK in order to ensure that benefits of schemes meant for refugees and Displaced Persons reach the targeted group.
Similarly at Para 3.2.12.3 the Committee desired that one nodal officer may be appointed in Delhi for granting Permanent Resident certificates to POJK DPs living outside the State of J&K as being done for Kashmiri migrants. The committee went to the extent of saying that rather Government may campaign to attract more and more POJK DPs living in other parts of the country by issuing advertisements in national dailies and the rules for applying the Permanent Resident Certificate may be simplified.
At Para :1.3 1 says that as per appraisal from the Ministry of Home Affairs in the wake of Pakistani aggression in Jammu and Kashmir in 1947, mass exodus of population from Pak occupied area of Kashmir (PoK) took place and as per the available records, 31,619 families were registered with the Rehabilitation Organisation, out of which 26,319 families opted to settle down within the State itself and 5,300 families settled outside the State of J&K (Delhi 1,901 families, Maharashtra 123 families, Rajasthan 495 families and other States 2,781 families ; and no claims for compensation in lieu of the properties left behind by these displaced persons were invited by the Government of India as PoJK was treated as an integral part of India, as also accordingly the Displaced Persons (Compensation and Rehabilitation) Act, 1954 and the Administration of Evacuee Property Act, 1950 are not applicable to the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
Of course the Parliamentary committee too did not specifically ask the State government to modify the proposals as were sent to GOI on 22.10.2016 so as to include at least the known 5300 families settled outside J&K before making any payments as and when amount is received from GOI but the committee recommend for setting up regular department, ordering a regular recount of numbers and addressing on priority the neglect that POJK DPs have so far faced.
In para 3.3.8.3 The Committee recommended that Ministry of Home Affairs may impress upon the State Government to take early decision on the issue of registration of left out Displaced Persons’ families of 1965 and 1971 as well. In para 3.2.1.4 The Committee says that it takes into account the fact that non-registered families are not given proper relief and compensation amount. The Committee is of the view that for that purpose, their fresh enumeration is necessary.
The Committee also felt that in order to understand the problems being faced by PoJK DPs and to have updated policy guidelines for them, it is appropriate that their enumeration is done at the earliest. The Committee, therefore, recommended that the Government should take adequate steps immediately to ensure official registration of Displaced Persons from PoJK in order to ensure that benefits of schemes meant for refugees and Displaced Persons reach the targeted group.
Not only that, The Committee desired that the matter may be discussed with the representatives of POJK DPs for solution but a very casual approach has been adopted in this regard as well since government has not even cared to acknowledged the suggestions / objections made by the POJK DPs in March 2016 in response to the notification issued on 19-03-2016 by Deputy Commissioner Jammu. Writer had also made an appeal in this regard to Governor J&K on behalf of the POJK DPs. Hope still some action will be initiated in the right direction by the government since it is never too late.`
In Para 3.2.12.3 the Committee also desired that one nodal officer may be appointed in Delhi for granting Permanent Resident certificates to POJK DPs living outside the State of J&K as being done for Kashmiri migrants.
The seriousness of concern shown by the committee could be seen from the where it says “A campaign may be initiated to attract more and more POJK DPs living in other parts of the country by issuing advertisements in national dailies and the rules for applying the Permanent Resident Certificate may be simplified. But the State Government in a way can be still accused of disowning thousands of families of State Subjects of J&K.
But no any information as regards J&K /GOI having initiated any such actions till November 2016 have come. Nor have government expressed any modified desires to include the known 5300 DP 1947 Families living outside J&K in the scheme of one time settlement of their claims. Rather this should have been the first act of the present BJP-PDP Government so as to revise the demands placed on Central Government from Rs.9096 Cr to Rs.10 421 Cr taking total 41684 families of 1947 ( 31619) /1965 (3500) /1971 (6565) POJK DPs instead of 36384 families i.e 26319 plus 3500plus 6565 by taking into account 5300 DPs (as per statement of the Government ) who went for immediate shelter / survival support in1947/48 outside J&K in other Indian states and name the demand as on account to be adjusted against final settlement.
From the notification issued by Deputy Commissioner Jammu on 19-03-2016 half indications did emerge that may be due to the definition of 1947 DPs of POJK in the Act 0f 1971 the 5300 families though whose data was available with Government but who were staying outside J&K in some other Indian State were excluded from the proposals sent to GOI in October 2014 for some payments to DPs. But in case it was in view of the DP definition in The Jammu And Kashmir Displaced Persons ( Permanent Settlement ) Act 1971 Act No X of 1971 then one would question how could the definition be broadened to include 1965/ 1971 DPs ? And the answer surely is that the case of POJK DPs has so far been taken not that seriously by all the governments. More so, no one would stop the present government to even get an Act passed by legislature so as to amend the definition of POJK DP Family as the same `could be alleged to have been erroneously incorporated in the J&K DPs (Permanent settlement) Act of 1971.
(Daya Sagar is a
Sr Journalist and a social activist can be reached at [email protected])
Concluded
