West Pak refugees slam Mufti’s remarks on citizenship Bill

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 21

The Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016, passed recently in the Lok Sabha has generated a debate in J&K after former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti opposed the granting of citizenship on the basis of religion.

Refugee families from West Pakistan, facing discrimination since 1947 due their religion, have condemned Mehbooba’s opposition to the Bill. There are 5,764 such families in the region.

“Propriety demands that Mehbooba should not speak on the issue because her party is vociferously opposing the grant of fundamental rights to the refugees living in the Jammu region for the last 71 years due to their religion,” said Labha Ram Gandhi, chairman of the West Pakistan Refugees Action Committee.

“All Kashmir-centric groups want to deprive us of the basic human rights as they have created a false impression that granting citizenship rights to 5,764 families would change the demographic profile of J&K,” Gandhi said. The victims of Partition, these refugees have been struggling since 1947 to get fundamental rights, but Kashmir-centric parties have always opposed any move to grant them citizenship.

Mehbooba Mufti on January 10 had lambasted the BJP-led NDA government on the Citizenship Bill. “Granting citizenship on the basis of religion is appalling and disgusting in equal measure. We are full of venom when it comes to Pakistan but are matching some of its policies in spirit,” she had tweeted.

Box: PDP ruled out citizenship rights to refugees

In December 2016, the PDP-led coalition government had ruled out granting citizenship rights to West Pakistan refugees after the BJP had raised concern over their plight. Not only the PDP, the National Conference and separatist leaders had also called for protests over the issue. “Indian rulers intend to tear and tarnish every fabric of our identity and dignity. These refugees can be rehabilitated elsewhere. The move is being made to change J&K’s demography,” they had alleged.