Share your story and shine at JK Monitor!đ Welcome to JK Monitor, where every story matters and every achievement is celebrated! We invite you to share the remarkable journey of your life and showcase your accomplishments to the world. Join our exclusive interviews that honor exceptional individuals just like you. JAMMU: A delegation of the All Jammu and Kashmir Jatt Sabha today called on the Chief Minister of the Union Territory, Omar Abdullah, in Jammu and submitted a memorandum of demands. Led by the President of the Sabha and former Minister, S. Manjit Singh, the delegation met the Chief Minister and submitted a memorandum highlighting the concerns and demands of the Jatt community, displaced persons, and border dwellers.
Former Minister S. Manjit Singh, while submitting the memorandum, demanded that a statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the first Maharaja of Greater Punjab and parts of Jammu and Kashmir, be installed in Jammu district in his memory. âThe people of Jammu and Kashmir have been strongly influenced by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his welfare-oriented and public-friendly rule in Punjab and later in Jammu and Kashmir,â the memorandum reads.
The delegation urged the Chief Minister to provide separate hostel facilities for Jatt students, both boys and girls, to enable them to pursue higher education in Jammu. It stated that many students from areas ranging from Kathua to Poonch lack proper accommodation facilities in Jammu. The provision of hostels, along with scholarships for economically weaker students who secure good marks, would encourage them to pursue higher education.
The memorandum further stated that the government should take up the long-pending demand of the Jatt community for the grant of Other Backward Class (OBC) status in Central Government jobs and professional educational institutions. The Jatt Sabha also demanded ownership rights for refugees and displaced persons of 1965 and 1971, including Chhamb displaced persons, over the land allotted to them. It urged the government to simplify procedures to facilitate the grant of proprietary rights once the process is initiated.
The Sabha further demanded the release of the full rehabilitation package for displaced persons, noting that only âč5.5 lakh has been released so far after the package was sanctioned by the previous government. It requested the Jammu and Kashmir Government to take up the matter with the Central Government. Additionally, the Sabha sought adequate compensation for farmers and displaced persons whose land has been utilized for defence purposes, including areas ahead of the fence and the ditch-cum-bandh. These individuals, despite being long-time allottees and occupants, have not received due compensation.
The delegation also demanded the launch of a special recruitment drive for border dwellers, displaced persons, refugees, and members of the Jatt community in defence forces, paramilitary forces, J&K Police, and civil administration to address unemployment among border youth. They further demanded the construction of a Jatt Bhawan in the Jammu district for the community.
Lastly, the Sabha demanded that Punjabi be granted official language status in Jammu and Kashmir and be included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India. It urged the government to take necessary steps for the protection and preservation of Punjabi language, culture, heritage, and values.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah gave the delegation a patient hearing and assured them that he would do the needful regarding the fulfilment of their demands. Regarding issues related to the Central Government, he assured that he would highlight them before the concerned authorities so that they could be addressed. The Jatt Sabha President and former Minister appreciated the cooperation and expressed hope that the issues raised before the Chief Minister would be addressed.
Prominent among those who were present on the occasion include Chief Patron and Ex-Member Parliament, Tarlok Singh Bajwa; Ex-Minister and Senior Vice President, Choudhary Sukhnandan; Ex-Minister and Senior Vice President, Choudhary Garu Ram; Ex-DDC and Senior Vice President, Taranjit Singh Tony; Patron of Sabha, Choudhary Ujagar; Secretary of Sabha, Naresh Choudhary; Spokesperson, Choudhary Jarnail Singh; Treasurer, Kamal Randhawa; Ex-Corporator, and District President Jammu Urban, Choudhary Dwarka.
