- ‘Stop deceiving 12 lakh displaced people; political drama won’t solve our crisis’: Chuni
JAMMU: The SOS International, a leading organisation spearheading the struggle for the rights and welfare of over 12 lakh displaced persons from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the ruling BJP at the Centre for exploiting the community for electoral gains.
It also warned the BJP leadership against further playing with the sentiments of PoJK displaced persons for political advantage, stating, “The BJP should refrain from this deceit, or else our people will not forgive them. We will not allow ourselves to be used as mere vote banks anymore.”
Addressing a press conference here, Rajiv Chuni, Chairman of SOS International, expressed deep concern over the neglect of PoJK refugees and criticized the BJP for discussing the reclamation of PoJK while ignoring the hardships endured by those displaced due to Pakistani aggression in 1947 in Mirpur, Muzaffarabad, and Poonch districts.
He accused the BJP of enacting a “political drama” on various platforms, including seminars and discussions, on PoJK, without acknowledging the plight of the affected people. “Not even a word of sympathy has been expressed by BJP leaders regarding the miseries of PoJK displaced persons, yet they make loud declarations about reclaiming PoJK from Pakistan,” he said.
Mr. Chuni claimed that the BJP government has been trying to shift the narrative to focus solely on reclaiming PoJK, not for national interest but for political gains to win elections. “Our destruction and devastation began after 2014 when the BJP took over the reins of power. Whatever hopes we had were systematically crushed,” he said while accusing the government of using PoJK as an “electoral strategy” rather than making genuine efforts.
“The unfortunate reality is that there is no concrete plan with the Government of India to reclaim these areas; instead, this rhetoric is being pushed through seminars as a political gimmick for elections,” he said.
He further strongly condemned the BJP for exploiting the emotions of over 12 lakh PoJK displaced persons, 80 percent of whom are living below the poverty line. “This is a blatant case of deception and vote-bank politics. The BJP should be ashamed of using our miseries for political mileage while showing no real concern for our rehabilitation,” he stated.
Despite repeated pleas, Mr Chuni said, the government has failed to ensure proper rehabilitation of PoJK displaced persons. He reminded that before the Modi government took office, a rehabilitation package was announced but has yet to be implemented even after 11 years of BJP rule at the Centre.
“They made a promise in 2015, assuring us that it would be fulfilled in three months. To this day, nothing has been done,” he said while pointing out the stark contrast in the treatment of PoJK displaced persons and Valley Migrants.
He said that while Valley Migrants displaced in 1989 received relief, ration, cash assistance, income tax relief, housing, and free electricity, PoJK refugees are still deprived of these basic necessities. “Why are our people still living in camps? Why are small landholdings given for agricultural purposes being taken away today? This is a conspiracy being hatched to destroy our community,” he alleged.
The SOS International Chairman said that political empowerment was crucial for the welfare of PoJK displaced persons. “Our people, who were displaced from Poonch, Mirpur, and Muzaffarabad, have never been allowed to elect their own representatives. Even today, 24 seats meant for PoJK remain vacant in the legislative assembly,” he said while criticizing the ruling government for its failure to grant representation to the community despite the constitutional responsibility to do so.
Mr Chuni also questioned why the government has not granted at least eight seats to PoJK displaced persons, a demand long endorsed by the Wadhwa Committee, Parliamentary Committees, and even the Delimitation Committee. “The Valley Migrants were given representation in the form of two seats in haste, despite Kashmir being part of India. It is hard to say that our territorial constituencies are still under illegal Pakistani occupation,” he said.
He further slammed the BJP for appointing individuals with no concerns to PoJK to the single reserved assembly seat. “This seat is apolitical and should not be controlled by a political party. Even some BJP MLAs from the PoJK community remain silent on our plight. Another political nomination will make no difference. We believe that it is only an attempt to suppress our voice,” he said.
Mr Chuni took on the BJP for failing to introduce any meaningful rehabilitation scheme for PoJK refugees despite making promises in its 2014 manifesto. “The party announced the Tika Lal Taploo rehabilitation scheme for Valley Migrants, but there is no similar scheme for PoJK displaced persons. If they truly cared, they could have announced a scheme in the name of Justice R. P. Sethi whose son’s name is being projected for the single seat reserved for PoJK refugees, but they didn’t. All they want is our votes,” he said.
Prominent among those who attended the press conference were Prof N N Sharma, V K Datta, Bhai Ram Singh, Ved Raj Bali, Sujan Singh, Dalip Singh Chib, Jagjit Singh, Dalip Sharma and Dharamvir Gupta.
