JAMMU: The POJK Visthapit Sewa Samiti (VSS) launched its annual calendar at a function held today in the Rohi More area of Jammu South. The event was part of the ongoing awareness campaign aimed at highlighting the forced exodus of the Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) displaced community in 1947. The ceremony, which was attended by various community members, activists, and local leaders, focused on the importance of preserving the history and struggles faced by the displaced community since the partition of India.
Pt. Ashok Kumar Khajuria, Advisor to the POJK VSS, addressed the gathering, emphasizing the key objectives of the event and the broader campaign. He explained that the initiative seeks to raise mass awareness about the atrocities faced by the PoJK displaced community, and their enduring grievances. A central aim of the campaign is to unite the displaced population in reclaiming the lost territories of Jammu and Kashmir, which remain under illegal Pakistani occupation.
Khajuria further highlighted that the newly launched calendar would serve as an educational tool, featuring significant historical events and stories that reflect the community's journey since their displacement. "This calendar is not just a reminder of our past, but also a call to action for the present generation to stay committed to their rights. Our ancestral lands and properties in the PoJK region should not be forgotten, and the struggle to reclaim them must continue," said Khajuria.
Speaking at an event, Ex-Sarpanch Vijay Sharma called on the government to expedite the fulfillment of promises made under the PoJK Relief and Rehabilitation Package, reiterating the pressing demands of displaced persons (DPs) from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). He urged the government to disburse the remaining amount of ₹25 lakh per family as announced in the package by the Government of India.
Highlighting the challenges faced by the PoJK DP community, Sharma emphasized the importance of reservation in higher educational institutions across India for educated youth from the displaced community. He also advocated for a special recruitment drive to ensure employment opportunities for PoJK DP youth in the Jammu and Kashmir Police and other government departments.
In his appeal to the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of J&K, and the Chief Minister of J&K, Sharma stressed the need to extend full Scheduled Tribe (ST) status benefits to all members of the PoJK displaced community. He criticized the selective granting of ST status, currently limited to DPs from the Rajouri-Poonch region, as unfair and discriminatory.
“The displaced community has endured immense hardships for over seven decades. It is highly regrettable that even today, the government selectively grants ST status to people of the same clan and socio-economic background,” Sharma stated. He urged the government to address this disparity and ensure equal treatment for all PoJK displaced families. The event witnessed a significant presence of prominent individuals and community leaders, further reinforcing the importance of the occasion.
Among those present were representatives from various social organizations and local political figures including Vikas Sharma, Pt Surinder Sharma, Sanjeev Khajuria, Pt Deputy Nath, Naresh Kumar, Gourav Raina, Sarwan Dass, Ramesh Sharma, Rohit Khajuria, Ashok Ranyal, Pushp Khajuria, Tilak Raj, and Pt Rakesh Shastri all showing their support for the cause.
