आज के ही दिन २२ अक्टूबर १९४७ को पाकिस्तानी हमलावरों ने जम्मू कश्मीर रियासत पर हमला कर दिया था जिस कारण हजारों परिवारों को मीरपुर जिले ,मुजफ्राबाद जिले और गिलगित -वलती से अपनी जान बचा कर जम्मू कश्मीर रियासत के दूसरे हिस्सों में पनाह लेनी पड़ी थी , कुछ तो भारत की अन्य रियासतों में भी चले गए थे. इन लोगों को भारत में शर्णार्थी नहीं माना गया और विस्थापित का नाम दिया गया क्यों कि २२ अक्टूबर के ४ दिन वाद जम्मू कश्मीर के राजा ने आखिर भारत के साथ अधिमिलन पत्र पर हस्ताक्षर कर दिए और रियासत आजाद भारत का हिस्सा वन गई.
रियासत के आजाद भारत का हिस्सा बनने के वाद भी ३० दिन वाद मीरपुर के लोगों ने मीरपुर छोड़ा था इस से अंदाजा लगेया जा सकता है कि इन लोगों ने कितनी यातना सही होगी ! आज तक यह लोग अपने लिए कुछ मुआबजे और सुविधायों के लिए प्रार्थना करते आ रहे हैं. पर ७० साल वाद भी अभी तक इन की ओर उचित ध्यान नहीं दिया गया ! जम्मू कश्मीर सरकार ने तो एक तरह से साल २०१४ में इन में से ५३०० ( साल १९४७ के समय के ) परिवारों कोे त्याग ही दिया है जो उस समय से भारत की अन्य रियासतों में रह रहे है और भारत सरकार ने भी साल २०१६ में एक तरह से उस पर मोहर लगा दि जब एक नाम मात्र सहायताा राशि ५.५ लाख रूपए देने की घोषणा की ! पाकिस्तान अधिकृत कश्मीर से आए यह लोग साल २०१६ तक कितने थक चुके थे और कितने हतौत्साहित हो चुके हैं इस का अंदाजा इस से लगाया जा सकता है कि जब सरकार ने इन ५300 परिवारों को रूपए ५.५ लाख के अनुचित और ओछे “दान” से बहिर निकाल दिया तो ‘इन के अपने ही लोग जो मीर पुर या मुजफ्रावाद या कोटली या पुंछ से विस्थापित होने के बाद जम्मू कश्मीर के सुरक्षित क्षेत्रों में रह रहे थे इन्हों ने भी इस का उच्चित डंग से विरोध नहीं किया ! यह कैसी बिडंवना है , किस किस को दोष दें !”
It is well known fact that the turmoil of 1947 Partition of British India resulted in large scale migration of people of all communities on either sides of the borders between India and newly born Dominion of Pakistan. Not only the British India territories, the people of Indian princely states of India British Empire too had to face a lot of problems and miseries. The then princely state of J&K was no exception and people of this state had to additionally also face the onslaught of the Pakistan aided and abetted brutal aggressions even after this princely state acceded to India on 26th October. Large areas of the Indian state of J&K were occupied by Pakistan in 1947.
A very large number of families had to run for life leaving behind all of their belongings and assets. There was hardly any family that had not lost one of its relations before it could reach the safeareas. World helplessly witnessed Pakistan illegally occupying large portion of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir in 1947. When the country was celebrating the freedom from the British Empire , a large population of J&K was mercilessly killed by the Pakistani ‘invaders’ who launched a regular armed attack on 22nd October 1947 ( four days before J&K finally acceded with India through a regular instrument of accession ) and others were forced to leave their own homes in their own country under the external aggression engineered by Pakistan . The areas occupied comprised of the then Mirpur District and a part of Poonch Jagir Jammu Province of J&K State, large part of Muzaffrabad District of Kashmir Province of J&K State and Gilgit / Baltistan parts of Ladakh region of indian state of J&K State.
Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, the then Prime Minister of J&K in 1950 named the uprooted local people of J&K as Displaced Persons vide order No. 1476-C of 1950 dated 16.12.1950 while those who had left Jammu & Kashmir and gone to Pakistan ( West Punjab) on their own were termed as migrants. This clearly shows the graveness of the conditions under which these people had to leave POJK (1947 POJK DPs) .
The people who had nearly left all their moveable as well as immoveable properties behind under the pressures of the external aggression by Pakistan have been given all these years false assurances by the Government of India as well as the state governments that they will surely get back their land from the illegal occupation of the Pakistan and displaced population will be honorably rehabilitated on the lands left back in the occupied areas. Claims of the properties left behind have not been given to these displaced persons as have been given to other 1947 refugees from Pakistan who migrated to Indian side in view of the 1947 partition of India. For property and material that would cost Rs.1000 in 1947 the compensation should be atleast Rs.22.22 Lac in 2015 just by taking 12 % interest annually compounded on cost equivalent. How long POJK Displaced persons can wait. Three generations have suffered. May be at today’s scales for matching the losses suffered atleast on an average Rs.50 Lac/ family will have to be paid immediately on account as adhoc grant to all in aid for properties lost to be adjusted against actual claims due since the composite evaluation exercise, as an when if started, would atleast take a couple years more before the due claims are worked out /decided for individual cases . Of course another around Rs.25 Lac need be paid to compensate for delayed socio-economic attention. But so erroneously the definition of 1947 Displaced person as contained in the Act No X 1971 has been used by the NC- Congress Government in 2014, also by BJP- PDP J&K Government in 2015- 2016 and BJP lead NDA government in 2016 to exclude the 5300 families of POJKDP 1947 available in records with government even from the list of beneficiaries of the Rehabilitation package for the displaced families from POJK and “Chhamb” under the Prime Minister’s development Package for J&K 2015 – Central assistance of Rs.2000 Cr for 36384 families from POJK of 1947 and Chhamb displaced persons of 1965 and 1971, a so illogical and irrational Rs 5.5 Lakh / family one time settlement. Where as the definition of ‘displaced POJK family 1947’ as contained in Act No X of 1971 should not have been used while nominating the beneficiaries under the proposals of J&K Government sent under letter No. Rev/Rehab/08/2011 dated 20-10-2014 for REHABILITATION FOR ONE TIME FULL AND FINAL SETTLEMENT OF THE CLAIMS OF THE POJK DISPLACED PERSONS OF 1947 AND CHAMB DISPLACED PERSONS @Rs.25 Lakh /per 1947 family to Government of India and there after in the Scheme approved by Government of India under Prime Minister’s development Package for J&K 2015 – Central assistance of Rs.2000 Cr for 36384 families from POJK of 1947 and Chhamb displaced persons of 1965 and 1971 as one time settlement as communicated under letter No. 31/01/2011-R & SO dated 22-12-2016 to state government . This way J&K State has in a way disowned ‘her own erstwhile state subjects of Class-I, Class-II and Class-III ) who were displaced from their hearths in the areas occupied by Pakistan in 1947 and that way instead of healing ‘their wounds’ they have been inflicted with more of a unconstitutional onslaught. It is nearly now seven decades living under simple assurances for their early / safe return . What to talk of having not been paid any claims / compensations for the assets left behind as well as the loss of lives suffered, POJK DPs have not been given any noticeable rehabilitation support /relief of any type like concessions in services like reservations, regular monthly cash / kind allowances / relief, concessions in education, concessions in trade, investments and taxes, and like . Imagine the extent of pennilessness, agony and helplessness of the DPs in early days in the ‘fact’ that some parents even got the age of their 3 year infant entered as 6 years or more just to get Rs. 10 /pm as ration money per head. Even this very meager financial support by government for survival ( maximum Rs.50 per month) was provided only for some time in the initial days to POJK DPS and had been discontinued thereafter what to talk of increasing the scale. If we talk about the forced displacement under the Pakistan aggression on the Indian State of Jammu & Kashmir in 1947 the Indian government has no official record of people who lost their lives during and due to forced displacement in which a large number of people had to run for saving their life leaving behind their moveable, immoveable properties , personal and property documents. There were very scarce means of transportation during those days , people had to walk long distances. No government agency can give the count of the orphaned children and widowed women, women who embraced death to save their honor and the disabled youth.
The people who came from Pakistan sponsored/ tribal invaded areas of Mirpur, Muzaffrabad , Kotli,Bhimber, Sudhnati, Poonch- Rawlakote, Deva Batala etc mostly took shelter in other safe areas in Jammu region or went to Punjab / Delhi / MP/UP/ Bombay etc. Large majority of the people displaced from ‘PoK’ (POJK) in 1947 /48 due to Pakistan attack are Hindu and are those of Sikh Panth from Mirpur and Muzaffrabad Districts of J&K where as there was lesser displacement from Gilgit- Baltistan areas of Ladakh region of the then Indian Princely state of J&K (it was more due to distances/ remoteness and religious affiliations). The horror days took away their three decades before they could recover from the terrifying memories and think of their future plans and ways & means to recover the material losses they had suffered in 1947 including the properties left behind by them. And it is now 7 decades since they have been making “prayers” – Daya Sagar
( Daya Sagar is a Sr Journalist and a social activist)
dayasagr45@yahoo.com 9419796096
