Ruldu Ram’s pleasure knew no bounds after he voted for the primary time in his life on the age of 90, practically eight a long time after migrating from Pakistan in the course of the Partition. He was among the many tons of of West Pakistan refugees within the border city of RS Pura who forged their votes for the Meeting election in Jammu and Kashmir.
“I voted for the primary time. I used to be not entitled to vote earlier than. We got here from West Pakistan in 1947,” he stated.
This marks a historic second for a lot of who’ve lengthy lacked political illustration within the J&Ok Meeting for the previous 75 years.
Domicile standing
Round two lakh individuals from three communities — West Pakistan refugees (WPR), Valmikis and Gurkhas – residing in numerous areas of Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts, significantly within the border areas, obtained domicile standing following the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A.
This made them natives of J&Ok and due to this fact obtained rights to vote within the Meeting elections, employment, schooling and land possession. Beforehand, they might solely vote within the Lok Sabha elections.
In July this 12 months, the J&Ok administration determined to grant proprietary rights to WPR households to the State land allotted to them throughout their resettlement after the 1947 migration.
Jubilant voters
“For us, it’s a nationwide competition right this moment. It’s a red-letter day within the historical past of those three communities, significantly West Pakistan refugees. We grew to become a part of true democracy in Jammu and Kashmir as we exercised our proper to vote for the primary time in our lifetime right this moment,” the president of the West Pakistan Refugees Motion Committee, Labha Ram Gandhi, informed PTI.
Mr. Gandhi, who led the celebrations of the group within the border city, also called the house of Basmati rice growers, stated this was a dream come true for the group, which had thus far lived as “undesirable residents”.
This paves the best way for election an MLA from the group sooner or later, stated the 63-year-old refugee chief, who was on the electoral roll on the Nundpur polling station in Samba. “Credit score goes to the Prime Minister and Dwelling Minister for revoking Article 370, which enabled us to turn out to be voters of Jammu and Kashmir. We’re grateful to them,” he added.
In keeping with information, 5,764 households of WPRs settled in numerous elements of Jammu after escaping from West Pakistan in the course of the Partition in 1947. The variety of WPRs has elevated to over 22,000 households.
Celebration time
Forward of voting day within the closing part of polls in J&Ok, West Pakistan refugees celebrated by finishing up a parade by way of the markets in RS Pura’s Purnapind space as tons of of group members danced to beats of dhols and bands.
They visited a temple, supplied prayers and exchanged sweets on the event. Related scenes of celebration have been witnessed in Samba and Akhnoor as nicely.
Enthusiasm was excessive amongst WPR voters at a number of polling cubicles in Charka, Bishnah, Chabbay Chak, Bhour Pind, Maira Mandrian, Kot Ghari, and Akhnoor within the Jammu and Samba districts.
Fifty-two-year-old Parveen Kumar, whose household had fled in the course of the Partition and camped in RS Pura’s Bhour camp space, voted at Bhour Pind.
He stated, “The decades-old curse has been lifted right this moment as we turn out to be voters of J&Ok. My father Nirmal Chand was a matriculate once they got here right here. He didn’t get any job when in 1947, a matriculate might safe positions like tehsildars and officers. He was compelled to do labour to feed his household. Who’s accountable for that?… It was all due to Article 370, which barred us from changing into residents of J&Ok. However we’re grateful to Modiji, who modified our destiny. It’s a competition for us. At the present time can be etched within the reminiscence of all of us,” Mr. Kumar added.
Mohinder Kumar, whose household got here from Jhelum city in Pakistan and settled in Jammu, arrived along with his son Ankit to vote on the Gandhi Nagar polling station.
“We lived underneath the image of the half-moon and star (Pakistan flag) for 75 years in Jammu and Kashmir. There was a black spot on our foreheads. As we speak, it has been eliminated by the Central authorities. It’s a nationwide competition for us,” Mr. Mohinder stated.
‘Dignity restored’
Sikh Magar Singh, 80, whose household got here from a village in Pakistan after dropping 4 relations to communal violence there in 1947, stated the primary era who migrated was voting together with the younger era for the primary time within the Meeting elections.
“We thank the Prime Minister for restoring the respect and dignity of over two lakh individuals by granting them citizenship. It restored all our rights, together with the correct to vote, the correct to jobs, and the correct to personal land. It’s a second of celebration for us,” he stated.
Twenty-year previous Trishika and her grandmother Sarveshwari Devi voted at a polling station within the border space of Akhnoor.
Round 2,000 members of the Gurkha group in Jammu’s Gorkha Nagar, too, are brimming with pleasure now that they’ve voting rights. Their ancestors migrated from Nepal to J&Ok a long time in the past to serve alongside the previous Dogra Military. Even right this moment, most households have not less than one member of the family who’s a warfare veteran.
“It was a dream come true for me and my household to vote within the Meeting elections. We categorical our gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modiji and Dwelling Minister Amit Shahji for reworking our fortunes right here. Because of their daring determination to revoke Article 370, we at the moment are residents of J&Ok,” Suresh Chhetri stated.
Printed – October 02, 2024 01:50 am IST