- SOS Int’l calls for non-political nominee for reserved assembly seat for PoJK refugees
JAMMU: The S. O. S. International—the frontline registered organisation spearheading the struggle for the legitimate and genuine rights of displaced persons from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK)—has urged the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha not to nominate a political party candidate for the single seat reserved in the Legislative Assembly for a community of over 12 lakh refugees.
In a memorandum submitted to the Lieutenant Governor today, Rajiv Chuni, the chairman of SOS International, said that any political appointment for this seat would make the PoJK displaced persons vulnerable to losing their rights which they have partially secured after nearly three decades of struggle.
“The reserved seat in J&K Legislative Assembly should not be treated as a political sanctuary for any individual. It must instead serve its intended purpose of genuinely representing the interests of the displaced community. If we truly want to address the needs of PoJK refugees, a non-political nominee should be considered. Many political figures have represented this community in both the assembly and the upper house, yet they have failed to deliver meaningful results,” Mr Chuni said while cautioning against the political appointment for the reserved seat.
The senior refugee leader said they have campaigned relentlessly to unite PoJK refugees both inside and outside Jammu and Kashmir during the struggle of nearly three decades.
“We raised our issues before various government panels including the Wadhawa Committee, constituted by Ghulam Nabi Azad as Chief Minister of J&K in 2007, the 183rd Rajya Sabha Committee led by Venkaiah Naidu, and the Delimitation Commission. While these bodies recommended eight assembly seats for PoJK refugees, their suggestions were overlooked, resulting in the allocation of only one seat for a community of over 12 lakhs displaced persons,” he said.
Mr. Chuni added that the SOS International was the first organization to call for the political empowerment of PoJK refugees in the early 1990s, advocating for their nomination to eight of the twenty-four vacant assembly seats in the J&K Legislative Assembly.
“Our mission has been to politically empower the community, allowing these vulnerable refugees to voice their concerns freely and without political bias in the Legislative Assembly. We firmly believe that the plight of PoJK refugees is fundamentally a humanitarian issue, deserving of a compassionate approach that rises above party politics,” he added.
The refugee leader expressed concern over reports suggesting a political figure may be nominated for this single assembly seat and warned that such a move would further alienate PoJK refugees who have been neglected by successive governments over the past three decades.
Mr Chuni said the intention behind reserving this seat was to empower members of the PoJK displaced community and provide them with a platform to advocate for their rights. “It, therefore, becomes imperative to ensure that the process of nominating a person reflects justice and empowerment for displaced persons from PoJK and it could be achieved only by nominating a non-political person from PoJK displaced persons for the seat,” he said.
He hoped that the Lieutenant Governor would move cautiously and address the genuine concerns of PoJK refugees while making a nomination for this reserved seat.
