World Refugee Day & Tales Of PoJK-DP’s

Since 2001, the United Nations has committed itself to observe 20th June every year as World Refugee Day. As per Article 1 of United Nations 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a refugee is someone who fled his or her home and country owing to a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. However, inspite of the fact that India has faced many times in the last 70 years and is still facing an acute refugee problem, it is neither a party to the above said convention nor does it have any specific legislation on refugees. On this World Refugee Day, I thought to share with you tales of those people who have spent their whole life as refugees in Jammu. Basically, these so-called ‘refugees’ are those people who migrated to J&K state in 1947, 1965 and 1971from areas which are now known as Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). Although, their hardships are not less than any refugee but legally they are defined as ‘Displaced Persons’. Interestingly, people who migrated in 1947 have two categories– West Pakistani Refugees (WPR) and Displaced Persons of Pakistan Occupied Jammu Kashmir (DP-POJK). Of them, only WPR have the word ‘refugee’ attached to them as they all are those who came from Sialkot and Punjab (areas which are now in Pakistan) to settle in the state of J&K at the time of partition. It is because they came from Sialkot and Punjab and were not residents of J&K state they are called ‘refugees’. 

On the other hand, DP-POJK people are termed as Displaced Persons because they all migrated in October 1947(when tribal’s aided and abetted by Pakistan attacked them) from Poonch, Muzzafarabad and Mirpur (areas now in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir), which was part of J&K state at that time, to settle in other districts of J&K. Another group of people who are treated as DP-POJK are those who migrated due to Indo- Pak wars of 1965 & 1971 from areas of Chhamb (now in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir) to settle in other areas of Jammu region. I believe that though they all have been categorized with different names, what they have common among them is ‘sufferings’. WPR’s are one of the major sufferers as they are not even treated as permanent residents of J&K. Furthermore, they are not allowed to buy any land in the state and apply for the state government jobs. And they can only exercise their franchise in parliament elections but not in state assembly polls. The following years, Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) had been supporting their cause but now they believe that even BJP has left them in same situation, as nothing much has been done for them in these last 3 years. Many promises were made to them by BJP before 2014 parliament elections to change their future. If we talk of POJK-DP of 1947, then at the moment, they are in their third generation and are one of the worst sufferers. Many of their relatives were killed, burnt alive, martyred and several of them were forcibly converted in Islam. Young women from their families were abducted to be used as bonded labourers and domestic slaves. After having gone through such tragedies they haven’t yet been given any proper resources, facilities and support for an honorable living to bring up their families and children. In their case also, successive state and central governments kept assuring them of relief and rehabilitation. But as time went, so did these governments and it cannot be denied that they had been politically exploited several times in these 70 years.

The total journey of POJK-DP’s after 1947 cannot be defined in words but yes, a part of it had some moments which provided them interim relief and a hope for a bright future. Following their migration in 1947, initially a Joint Rehabilitation Board was formed for them which allotted them lands in order to settle them. Thereafter, in order to rebuild their lives and provide them more support, the Government of India in 1960 sanctioned Rs. 3500 per family. After 1960, nothing concrete was done which can provide proof that the government was really concerned for their plight. And now came the year 2000 in which the Government of India announced compensation of land deficiency for them. But sadly many claimants did not accept it as they believed that it was too meager as compared to prevailing market price of land. Again many years passed and recently in 2014 a Joint Parliamentary Committee(JPC) was formed for POJK-DP’s which recommended some steps like Rs. 30 lakh per family, reservation to wards in technical institutions, employment package along with other concessions to these POJK-DP’s. Thereafter, the same year even the state government recommended a one-time settlement package of Rs 25 lakh per family to the Government of India. However, the Congress party went out of power both from centre and J&K after 2014 polls which resulted in slowing down of relief measures for POJK-DP’s. Nevertheless, this all didn’t affect the POJK-DP’s fight to get justice and the result of it was that on 30 November, 2016, the centre government approved a Rs 2,000-crore relief package for them. 

It was a remarkable moment, when the relief package was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. All POJK-DP’s families started assuming that finally this government will put a stop to their sufferings. POJK-DP’s families were truly thrilled as they thought that all recommendations of the JPC will be fulfilled soon since it was headed by a senior BJP leader. Sadly, this announcement has increased frustration and confusion among POJK-DP’s, as on the basis of total families identified by the Government of India this amount hardly comes to Rs 5.50 lakhs per DP’s family. This relief package is no way near the recommendations made by the previous state government or recommendations of JPC. Basically, there is no clarification about the total amount of relief compensation to be paid to each family and whether this amount is an installment of relief or is a final claim. Strangely, the centre government has completely turned silent as the issue has become more complicated and entangled. With this all happening, POJK-DP’s are very unhappy and are giving them an unhealthy impression of the present Narendra Modi government. On the occasion of World Refugee Day, I make a humble appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that as you owe them ‘ACCHE DIN’ so you should take some firm steps for POJK-DP’s to curtail their rising anger.

Unfriendly Air In Kashmir

It was summer of 2016 and in July that year, Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani's killing led to an unrest in the valley. Since then I believe there is no peace in Kashmir, as even during winter last year the things did not turn peaceful. Another summer has come this year and on 27th May 2017, Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, another militant of Hizbul Mujahideen, was killed by security forces in Tral area of Kashmir. The killing of Sabzar Ahmad Bhat was witnessed on the very onset of the holy month of Ramzan and this coincidence in a way has hurt the souls of many in Kashmir. Earlier, Ramzan period witnessed a ceasefire kind of approach from both sides i.e. militants and security forces. After this killing, the situation in Kashmir has again turned tense and many areas have started witnessing curfew and protests every other day. The intensity of initial unrest can be judged from the fact that prepaid mobile services were immediately banned in Kashmir following this killing. Incidentally, next month is July and then we shall observe one complete year during which uneasy calm prevailed in Kashmir which started after the killing of Burhan Wani. In the last one year, Kashmir has seen frequent events like killing of political workers, kidnapping and killing of an army man, weapon snatching and attacks on army convoys. Such a routine is back in Kashmir after decades and it clearly reflects that the situation in the past one year has turned very grim.

After this all, so much anger also has been witnessed on the roads of Kashmir but both parties PDP and BJP, who are in alliance aren’t speaking anything about it. In a way, this governmental approach has furthered the idea of this alliance being an “alliance of opportunity”. PDP and BJP got the mandate of the people from two separate regions of the J&K state and at that time, for me formation of this coalition government was like a dream. However, when this coalition was formed, many ideas were floated to counter the allegation, that this alliance is an “alliance of opportunity”, and one such idea was that in time ahead the two regions i.e. Jammu and Kashmir, will come closer only because of this alliance. But this hasn’t happened in the last more than two years and with the present prevailing atmosphere in Kashmir; I think it won’t even happen in the near future. I say this, as I have noted that in previous one year Jammu and Kashmir are deriving pleasure from each other’s pain and politics has played an equal role in it. The alliance seems to have failed to bring people together as the BJP leaders couldn’t develop any acceptability in Kashmir and so is the case of PDP leaders in Jammu. Initially, people in J&K, had some clarity that these parties will now speak for people of their regions who gave them mandate. For this everyone expected that PDP will speak only for Kashmir and BJP will speak for Jammu. Strangely, as time passed, this clarity of thought turned into ambiguity as it is witnessed that both these parties aren’t even speaking for their respective regions.

The intensity of threat is highest as the local youth has started coming out openly on roads in support of militants. Earlier, militants who were killed didn’t get such kind of local support as those killed were foreign militants. But in the past year most of the militants who were killed were local boys of Kashmir. This fact is adding up the sympathy for militants in the minds of local people, the result of this was visible when lakhs of people turned out for Burhan Wani’s burial. Moreover, in the past two decades, when was the last time in the valley we saw women coming out on roads as a stone throwing mob. In addition to it, this year students too have openly come out in support of militants. It is pertinent to mention here that this all gives out a perception that Kashmir has turned more anti-India in the last one year. Stone throwing in Kashmir has picked up tremendously and it appears that use of pava shells and pellet guns no longer scare the angry youth of Kashmir. In total, the situation has declined and one of the examples is that now we need ‘human shields’ to control situations. On the other hand, the opposition parties are blaming the ruling government for failing to control the situation. Though, their claim against the government is right but it gets weak because in the past when such situations (of lower intensity) erupted they also turned helpless.

We all need to analyze some questions which come into my mind every time I see my state burning for days. Firstly, how many more summers in Kashmir will witness such chilling moments? Secondly, are we progressing under the shadow of these killings or our country has moved back on the Kashmir issue? You, I and many others across the world know that youth of Kashmir is being instigated to indulge in violence but just knowing that isn’t the solution. Several governments had failed to end this unfriendly air in Kashmir and it appears to be in continuity even under the present Narendra Modi led central government which promised meeting together of north and south poles in Jammu and Kashmir.