Constitute “Welfare Board” for the Displaced Persons of 1947 POJK

Ronik Sharma

Everyone is well aware about the history of the holocaust of 1947 and large scale forced involuntarily displacement of the innocent people (Hindu -Sikh) families from the areas which are now called as POJK (Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir).

Pakistani army had directly attacked the territories of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir with the support of well trained armed kabayalies .The armed rebellion from Pakistani side had started in the mid of the month of October 1947. Pakistani forces entered into the territories of Mirpur, Muzzaffarabad and butchered several thousand Hindus, Sikhs and even not leaving Children, Women, Old and infirm persons.

In Pakistan army's direct attack on Indian Dominion, lakhs of individuals got displaced and others who had narrow escaped got scattered and were sent out from their homes and hearths.

India never gave up its claim over the illegally and forcibly occupied territories by Pakistan since 1947.

The central government in consultation with successive governments of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir had constituted commissions/committees to meet out with various issues and problems being faced by the displaced families and for the redressal of their grievances from POJK areas.

From time to time representatives of the affected displaced persons suggested the successive central as well as state governments that welfare and relief Commission/development board should be constituted for displaced families of 1947 (POJK ) to look after the issues related to statistical /data base needs, economic support, social needs, employment needs and for working out the compensation etc.

In 2014, 183rd report on Department -related Parliamentary standing committee on Home Affair was presented to both the houses of the parliament. Within the said report, Joint Parliamentary standing Committee had recommended for the constitution of welfare and Relief Commission/Development Board.

” The committee understands that the demands of the representatives of POJK DPs' of 1947 for constitution of a welfare and relief Commission board for DPS of POJK 1947 can be attributed to the reason that the existing office meant for addressing their problems is not functioning effectively.

The committee therefore recommends that a welfare and relief Commission/development board with adequate infrastructure may be constituted in view of the large number of people involved and number of issues to be at addressed.

The committee feels that though Wadhwa committee submitted its report in the year 2007 no action has been taken on its recommendations. The report cannot be kept pending indefinitely.

The committee therefore recommended that the Union Government should take up the matter with the state government to expeditiously consider and implement the recommendations of Wadhwa committee within 6 months”.

But till date no government has taken any step to constitute a welfare Board.

Amit Shah, Home Minister of the India has already been apprised on number of occasions about the plight of the displaced persons of 1947. Although Ministry of Home affairs has already taken several welfare measures for displaced persons but so far the Constitution of welfare board is still pending.

Government of India has taken very tough posture on the illegally occupied areas of POJK by Pakistan and has demanded even from the floor of the house for vacating forced occupation of Indian Territory of erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir. Indian government is committed to the resolution passed by the Parliament of India on 22nd February 1994,wherein it has been unanimously resolved that the areas of POJK including Gilgit Baltistan etc. belong to India and Government of India will leave no stone unturned to get those areas vacated from its illegal occupier Pakistan.

With the constitution of the Welfare board for 1947 POJK DPs, matters pertaining to the displaced persons like their settlements, employments, land deficiency issues, safety of revenue record, immovable properties left behind, education, welfare matters, regularisation and ownership rights in context with the properties in their occupation and other similar matters can be agitated and resolved through with the agency of the board.

Moreover the matters which we fail to resolve from last seven decades can be settled through inbuilt mechanism in the board.

The constitution of welfare board would be most appropriate step taken in the present scenario.

The writer is an Advocate, J&K