Jammu, 1 October (H.S.):

Ruldu

Ram’s joy knew no bounds after he voted for the first time in his life at the

age of 90, nearly eight decades after migrating from Pakistan during the

Partition. He was among hundreds of West Pakistan refugees in the border town

of R S Pura who cast their votes for the assembly elections in Jammu and

Kashmir.

“I voted for the first time. I was not

entitled to vote before. We came from West Pakistan in 1947,” he said.

This marks a historic moment for many who have long lacked political

representation in the J&K assembly for the past 75 years.

Around 1.5 to 2 lakh people residing in various areas of Jammu, Samba and

Kathua districts, particularly in the border regions, members of three

communities — West Pakistan refugees (WPR), Valmikis, and Gurkhas — finally

have domicile status following the abrogation of articles 370 and 35-A.

This made them natives of J&K and therefore get rights to vote in the

assembly elections, employment, education and land ownership. Previously they

could only vote in the Lok Sabha polls. In July of this year, the J&K

administration decided to grant proprietary rights to WPR families for the

state land allocated to them during their resettlement after the 1947

migration.

“For us, it is a national festival today. It is a red-letter day in the history

of these three communities, particularly West Pakistan refugees. We became part

of true democracy in Jammu and Kashmir as we exercise our right to vote for the

first time in our lifetime today,” President of the West Pakistan Refugees

Action Committee Labha Ram Gandhi.

Gandhi, who led the celebrations of the community in the border town, also

known as the home of Basmati rice growers, said this was a dream come true for

the community which had so far lived as “unwanted citizens”.

This paves the way to elect an MLA from the community in the future, said the

63-year-old refugee leader whose name in the electoral roll at the Nundpur

polling station in Samba.

“Credit goes to the prime minister and home minister for revoking Article 370,

which enabled us to become voters of Jammu and Kashmir. We are grateful to

them,” he added.

According to records, 5,764 families of WPRs settled in various parts of Jammu

after escaping West Pakistan during the Partition in 1947. The number of WPRs

has increased to over 22,000 families or 1.5-2 lakh individuals.

Ahead of voting day in the final phase of polls in J&K, West Pakistan

refugees celebrated by carrying out a parade through the markets in R S Pura’s

Purnapind area as hundreds of community members danced to beats of dhols and

bands.

They visited a temple, offered prayers and exchanged sweets on the occasion.

Similar scenes of celebration were witnessed in Samba and Akhnoor as well.

Enthusiasm was high among WPR voters at several polling booths in Charka,

Bishnah, Chabbay Chak, Bhour Pind, Maira Mandrian, Kot Ghari, and Akhnoor in

the Jammu and Samba districts.

Fifty-two-year-old Parveen Kumar, whose family had fled during the Partition

and camped in R S Pura’s Bhour camp area, voted at Bhour Pind.

He said, “The decades-old curse has been lifted today as we become voters of

J&K. My father Nirmal Chand was a matriculate when they came here. He did

not get any job when in 1947, a matriculate could secure positions like

Tehsildars and officers. He was forced to do labour to feed his family. Who is

responsible for that?”

“It was all because of Article 370, which barred us from becoming citizens of

J&K. But we are thankful to Modi ji, who changed our fate. It is a festival

for us. This day will be etched in the memory of all of us,” Kumar added.

Mohinder Kumar, whose family came from Jhelum town in Pakistan and settled in

Jammu, arrived with his son Ankit to vote at the Gandhi Nagar polling station.

“We lived under the symbol of the half-moon and star (Pakistan flag) for 75

years in Jammu and Kashmir. There was a black spot on our foreheads. Today, it

has been removed by the central government. It is a national festival for us,”

Kumar said.

Sikh Magar Singh (80), whose family came from a village in Pakistan after

losing four family members to communal violence there in 1947, said the first

generation who migrated are voting along with the young generation for the

first time in the assembly elections.

“We thank the prime minister for restoring the respect and dignity of over 2

lakh people by granting them citizenship. It restored all our rights, including

the right to vote, the right to jobs, and the right to own land. It is a moment

of celebration for us,” he said.

Twenty-year old Trishika and her grandmother Sarveshwari Devi voted at a

polling station in the border area of Akhnoor.

Around 2,000 members of the Gurkha community in Jammu’s Gorkha Nagar, too, are

brimming with excitement now that they have voting rights.

Their ancestors migrated from Nepal to J&K decades ago to serve alongside

the former Dogra Army. Even today, most families have at least one family

member who is a war veteran.

“It was a dream come true for me and my family to vote in the assembly

elections. We express our gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji and Home

Minister Amit Shah ji for transforming our fortunes here. Thanks to their bold

decision to revoke Article 370, we are now citizens of J&K,” Suresh Chhetri

said.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar