Politics

RSS Chief stirs a hornet’s nest by demanding citizenship rights to West Pak refugees

West Pak refugees, many of whom are in their third generation now, still lack basic rights in Jammu and Kashmir

October 16, 2016

West Pak refugees, many of whom are in their third generation now, are still waiting for their citizenship

[dropcap color=”#008040″ boxed=”yes” boxed_radius=”8px” class=”” id=””]T[/dropcap]he Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat has once again stirred a hornet’s nest by demanding citizenship rights to Hindu refugees in Jammu and Kashmir and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits, driven out of Kashmir valley at the peak of militancy.

…both the alliance partners including BJP has agreed upon taking measures for sustenance and livelihood of the West Pak refugees.

Speaking during his annual address on the eve of Dussehra celebrations in Nagpur, where RSS headquarters is located, Mohan Bhagwat said the J&K government should work with the Centre to pursue one policy and move in one direction, noting that the nationalist forces should be strengthened and “undesirable” activities be rooted out.

Bhagwat’s assertion is in total contrast to the stated position of the BJP on the contentious issue and may add friction between the alliance partners BJP and PDP.

This is so in the Agenda of Alliance, labelled as most sacrosanct document, both the alliance partners including BJP has agreed upon taking measures for sustenance and livelihood of the West Pak refugees.

On the other hand RSS chiefs remarks have rekindled hope among “helpless” West Pakistani refugees deprived of basic human rights.

[dropcap color=”#008040″ boxed=”yes” boxed_radius=”8px” class=”” id=””]I[/dropcap]t is for the first time that any RSS chief has highlighted the plight of these refugees, who are victims of worst-ever discrimination meted out to them by the successive state and Central governments.

The RSS chief has given a clear message. We are hopeful that our humanitarian issues will be taken seriously by the State and Centre…
– Labha Ram Gandhi, chairman of the West Pakistani Refugees Action Committee.

These “stateless” refugees — a majority of them Dalits — have been struggling since 1947 to get basic fundamental rights, which have been denied to them by successive regimes with one or the other excuse.

“The RSS chief has given a clear message. We are hopeful that our humanitarian issues will be taken seriously by the State and Centre,” said Labha Ram Gandhi, chairman of the West Pakistani Refugees Action Committee.

Gandhi regretted that except promises nothing had been done by the successive governments to grant citizenship rights to the refugees. Gandhi said the West Pak refugees were fed up with repeated promises of the successive regimes.

No Plan to grant citizenship rights to West Pak Refugees

Even Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Syed Basharat Bukhari had stated on the floor of the state legislature in June 2016 that the J&K government had no plan to give permanent citizenship to the refugees from West Pakistan though they were the citizens of the country.

How many West Pakistan refugees living in J&K

5,764 West Pakistan refugee families are living in Jammu.

According to the state govt statistics 31,619 Pak refugee families of 1947 and 3500, 4600 and 1965 refugee families of Chhamb of 1965, 1971 (camp), 1971 (non-camp) respectively were living in the region.

In total, 47,448 refugee families live in the region, he said.

Who is a permanent resident of J&K?

All persons who got displaced from Pakistan administered Kashmir are permanent residents of the State.

“All the refugees who got displaced from Pak being a part of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State are permanent residents of the State.

However, the refugees who came from the area which became West Pakistan are not permanent resident of J&K.

West Pakistani refugees are not considered for appointment against any State government post because they are not permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir.”

Who cheated the West Pak refugees?

[dropcap color=”#008040″ boxed=”yes” boxed_radius=”8px” class=”” id=””]D[/dropcap]uring the partition and subsequently many Hindu refugees were displaced from Pak-occupied Kashmir and arrived there. Sheikh Abdullah assured them that they will be given their rights. Their third generation is living there.

The West Pak refugees, who have been living in the Jammu region since 1947, are agitating to get citizenship rights but the Kashmir-centric political groups have been opposing their demands, taking the excuse of the special status of the state.

The refugees have no voting rights for the Legislative Assembly, no citizenship rights, no Ration Card and no Permanent Resident Certificate. They cannot apply for government jobs and neither can they purchase land in Jammu and Kashmir.

The West Pak refugees, who have been living in the Jammu region since 1947, are agitating to get citizenship rights but the Kashmir-centric political groups have been opposing their demands, taking the excuse of the special status of the state.

During the 2014 Lok Sabha and the Assembly elections in J&K, the BJP had promised citizenship rights to the refugees but the promises have remained only on paper.

The issue of grant of citizenship rights to Hindu refugees in the state has been a controversial one there with parties like National Conference and PDP expressing reservation over it.