Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 14: JKDF State president Anil Gupta expressed surprise that the ruling leaders were not prepared to grant citizenship rights and other assistance to refugees from Pakistan staying in Jammu areas despite their stay in J&K for over six decades now, but they do not seem opposed to the arrival of large number of foreigners including ultras coming with Pakistani wives and children born there.
He pointed out that rehabilitation policies are being framed for outsiders and ultras, but the refugees who migrated from adjoining areas of Pakistan to this State in a painful situation in 1947 in wake of the partition of the country have not been granted citizenship rights despite expiry of 65 years on the plea of Article-370 and a separate status for J&K.
In a statement issue to media Anil Gupta said, “thousands of people have been deprived from all constitutional rights by the State Government, whereas refugees who migrated to other states of India have been rehabilitated by their respective State Governments or the Central Government, and provided with best possible compensation and all constitutional rights.
Deprivation of constitution, legal and statutory rights in the State of J&K have made their living conditions exacerbated. This large chunk of refugee population is denied rights in a plethora of matters including elections to State Assembly and Panchayats; recruitment in the State Government services and acquisition of immovable property owing to special constitutional status granted to State under Article 370.
Most of the West Pakistani youth are unemployed vegetating at home and that has put a deleterious effect on their psychological well being and triggering a feeling of alienation amongst them.
Anil Gupta reiterated that former Union Minister Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta has raised the issue of West Pakistani refugees vigorously during the NDA rule and is still active in highlighting the issues related to the West Pakistani refugees. JKDF under his able guidance has pledged to take the movement of West Pakistani refugees to the logical conclusion in order to seek full constitutional rights for their dignified living in the State.
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