Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 15: Demanding settlement of their long pending demands and restoration of their rights, the Jammu and Kashmir PoK Refugees Front staged a demonstration in front of Press Club here today.
The demonstration was led by president of the Front Rashpal Singh Chib and a large number of women also participated in the protest.
Raising slogans in support of their demands, the protestors accused successive State and Central Governments of betraying them and turning a deaf ear to their genuine demands.
The Front warned to hold the massive demonstrations at tehsil and block headquarters on Republic Day in support of their demands.
They said though the Constitution of India was implemented on this day in 1951 granting equal rights to the people and treating him equal before the law of the land but PoK refugees were deprived of this right since 1947.
Addressing the protestors, Rashpal Singh Chib said that successive Governments betrayed them since their displacement from PoK. “It was due to the follies of the Government that Pakistan annexed out motherland and now they are depriving us of the rights also”, he added.
Demanding reservations for their wards in professional colleges of the State, he said the Government has mooted a proposal writing the Union Government to grant reservations to them in professional colleges outside the State and this way it wants to uproot our wards.
He demanded reservations be given to the students of refugees in the State as well as outside the State.
Making a dig at NC-Congress coalition, he accused them for the plight of the PoK refugees and alleged that the two parties want to deprive the refugees of their rights and uproot them form the State also.
He appealed the refugees to make the Front’s January 26 call a success and show total solidarity with the Front in taking the present struggle to its logical conclusion.
He alleged that State Cabinet has not till date made any recommendations regarding the final settlement of PoK refugees to Centre and this is a cause of concern. The Cabinet only made recommendations for the Kashmiri migrants and this was a discrimination with PoK refugees, he added.
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