Separatists And Mainstream Parties Ups Ante Against Settlement Of Pak Refugees Srinagar, Jan 11: The mainstream parties as well as separatists have upped the ante against the Government of India (GoI’s) plans to settle West Pakistan refugees in Jammu and Kashmir. National Conference General Secretary, Ali Muhammad Sagar Saturday termed the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee for settling West Pakistan refugees permanently in Jammu and Kashmir as an attempt to changing the demography of the State. Addressing District Working Committees meetings from north Kashmir’s Baramulla and Kupwara districts, he said the recommendations of Joint Parliamentary Committee were unacceptable. “It is a wicked conspiracy to temper with the special status of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said. Sagar said different parliamentary committees had recommended many things for the State like the return of the power projects to J&K, restoration of autonomy, and revoking black laws like AFSPA, but all the governments in New Delhi had trashed these recommendations. “Now that another Parliamentary Committee has made recommendations for settling West Pakistan refugees, and giving them citizenship and voting rights, New Delhi seems to be in a hurry to make this happen as soon as possible,” he said. Sagar said conspiracies like these were even hatched in 2008, when there were attempts to transfer State land to Amarnath shrine board, which was a dangerous attempt to fiddle with the special status of J&K. “The fallout of the land row agitation proved to be dangerous,” he said. “As per Article 370 and the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, no non-state residents can get state subject or the voting rights.” NC’s rival Peoples Democratic Party too expressed resentment against any plans to settle the West Pakistan refugees in the State. Talking to SNA, PDP Media Advisor, Nayeema Mehjoor said her party opposes any move to settle the non-state subjects in the State. “Kashmiri Pandits, who are state subjects, are welcome to be back in the Valley but we will oppose any move to settle West Pakistan refugees,” she said. Mehjoor said Government of India also had to consider settlement of 33,000 people who had gone across to Pakistan administered Kashmir and wanted to return to the State. “New Delhi cannot pick and choose,” she said. However, Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) made its stand clear that it would vigorously pursue the settlement of West Pakistan and Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK) refugees. BJP’s incharge J&K Affairs, Avinash Rai Khanna told SNA that while the party stood for settlement of West Pakistan refugees, Kashmiri Pandits and PaK refugees in J&K, it opposed any move to settle Kashmiris living in PaK who wanted to return to the State. “For the West Pakistan refugees, our stand is that they should get voting rights and state subject,” Khanna said. “They should be permanent J&K citizens and their refugee tag should end.” However, he opposed any move of settling the 33000 Kashmiris who are living in PaK and want to return to the State. “Though it (PaK) is part of J&K but they should not be settled till (PaK) it does not merge back with the State,” he said. On Friday, another mainstream politician and Awami Ittihad Party chief, Engineer Rashid staged a protest demonstration in the city center. He threatened Kashmir-wide agitation over New Delhi’s move of granting citizenship rights to West Pakistan refugees in J&K. Another mainstream politician and Peoples Democratic Front Chairman, Hakim Muhammad Yaseen also opposed plans of granting citizenship rights to West Pakistan refugees. He said the proposal could have serious consequences as Kashmiris would oppose any such move tooth and nail. “The West Pakistan refugees were never residents of Jammu and Kashmir and there is no legal or constitutional obligation to provide them with Permanent Residence Certificates,” he said. “I urge the leadership of the State to unite against this proposed move and thwart the nefarious designs of those vested interests who want to divide the State in the name of region and religion.” Like the mainstream politicians, the separatist leaders also opposed the move of settlement of West Pakistan refugees in J&K. Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Geelani termed the move a conspiracy to change the demographic status of Jammu and Kashmir. He said the new government at New Delhi had actively started to work on the hidden agenda of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. “With the help of the state power, they have kick-started a dangerous plan to convert the Muslim majority of Jammu and Kashmir into minority,” he said. Concerned over the issue, Hurriyat Conference (M) Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has called for a meeting of its Executive and General Council, and the Working Committee members on Monday. A Hurriyat (M) spokesman said that the meeting would discuss Government of India’s proposal of settlement of Western Pakistan refugees and providing state subject rights to them. “The implications on Kashmir issue and the strategy to be adopted will also be discussed in the meeting,” he said. Duktaran-e-Millat chief, Syeda Asiya Andrabi said people of Kashmir would not allow transformation of Kashmir into Palestine. She said BJP wanted to change the demographic character of J&K and to succeed in their plan, BJP-led government at New Delhi had already made its preparation to settle West Pakistan refugees in Kashmir. Andrabi termed the recommendations of the BJP government to settle the refugees in J&K as unrealistic and dictatorial. “If RSS was so worried about their settlement they needed to settle them in some other part of India,” she said. Meanwhile, a number of religious and civil society groups also opposed New Delhi’s move to settlement of West Pakistan refugees in the State. Jamiat Ahlihadees said giving West Pakistani refugees permanent citizenship of J&K was unacceptable. “The aim of this move is to change the demography of the State and destroy its Muslim-majority status,” a spokesman of Jamiat said. “People of J&K will never remain silent over these conspiracies hatched at the behest of RSS and its allies.” In a seminar organized by Anjuman- e-Sharian-e-Shian, the chief of the religious group, Aga Syed Hassan said, “Since 1947 various attempts had been made to change the religious character of J&K and to convert the Muslim majority into a minority.” Senior separatist leader Abbas Ansari, Jamaat-e-Islami spokesman Zahid Ali, civil society activists Yousuf-Al-Umar and Khurshid Ahmad Qanoongo also spoke against the settlement of West Pakistan an
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 04:23:56 +0000
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