From unwanted citizens to those with dignified domicile

Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 3

After their 73 years’ of long struggle, the West Pakistani refugees ultimately got their “identity” as since 1947 this community was suffixed with the derogatory title of “Gair Bashinda” (non-resident) citizens.

Living in camps for over seven decades, these refugees were denied rights of the common residents of Jammu & Kashmir. A year ago, they couldn’t own property in the state, could not get government employment or even own a ration card. Quite naturally, they had no voting rights in the Assembly, urban local bodies and panchayat elections.

“Our destiny has been changed within a year. After the abrogation of Article 35-A, we are eligible to get domicile certificates because our generations have been living in Jammu since 1947,” Labha Ram Gandhi, refugee leader said, adding, “Our status of unwanted citizens has been changed now as those with dignified domicile of J&K.”

Under the new law introduced in J&K on April 1, 2020, the domiciles have been defined as those who have resided for a period of 15 years in the UT of J&K or have studied for a period of seven years and appeared in Class 10-12 examination in educational institutions located in J&K.

Like Valmikis from Punjab, the Gorkhas and children of women married outside J&K, the refugees from Pakistani Punjab, tagged as West Pakistani refugees, were the worst victims of Article 35-A.

During 1947, when Hindus and Sikhs from Sailkot district of Pakistan were migrating to India, some families had preferred to cross over to J&K and took shelter as this place was nearer.

Since 1947 these refugees, a majority of them Dalits and OBCs, were struggling to get a dignified and settled life, but without success.

“Our four generations have been denied basic human rights, like the right of citizenship, employment, education, ownership of property. We were citizens of India, but being deprived of the rights which a State subject of J&K was enjoying,” Gandhi rued.

He, however, felt elated that the fate of these refugees had changed during the last one year.

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