Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Nov 25: A large number of displaced persons from Pak occupied Kashmir paid tributes to the martyrs from Mirpur (PoK) in a function held at Lajpat Nagar, in Delhi today.
A large number of members of the displaced community from POK under the banner of SOS International, led by Rajiv Chuni, its chairman assembled in a park at the Union capital and paid their tributes to those who sacrificed their lives during attack by Pak raiders in 1947
While addressing a gathering, Rajiv Chuni said the J&K state has its existence today only because of the sacrifices made by the displaced families from POK. He said it has been more than seven decades, but no justice has been provided to them. They are still running from pillar to post to get justice even after the lapse of such a long period.
Chuni further said that the State Cabinet in 2014 approved a package for PoK DPs in which Rs 25 lakh, reservation to the wards of PoK DPs in professional and technical colleges across the nation, employment package to unemployed youths were incorporated. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during 2015 announced Rs 2,000 crore package for 26, 319 PoK displaced families of 1947 i.e. Rs 5.50 lakh instead of Rs 25 lakh as approved by State Cabinet for each family ruling out other components of the package. A total 31,619 PoK DP families were registered during mass exodus in PoK and out of which, 5,300 families were registered in their respective places/camps outside J&K but these 5,300 families were excluded from this package, he added.
Chuni said the proposal regarding inclusion of these families in the ambit of package were sent to Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, Minister for Home Affairs Rajnath Singh, former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and former Governor N N Vohra but no positive response has been received yet.
He said SOS International will file a petition before Election Commission of India (ECI) for restoration of 8 seats in terms of reservation or nomination in favour of POK DPs. And if ECI does not take cognizance of our petition then they will knock the doors of Supreme Court, Chuni added.
He further said if the whole package approved by State Cabinet for PoK DPs is not implemented in toto, till December 16, 2018, then PoK DPs will launch indefinite “dharna” from on December 17, 2018. VK Datta, SC Sawhney, K L Mahajan and TR Sethi also spoke on the occasion.