JK News Today
Jammu, December 10:
S. O. S. International – An Organization for PoK Displaced Persons today observed International Human Rights Day at its headquarters in Bakshi Nagar, Jammu. While addressing a meeting of office bearers and executive members, Chairman S. O. S. International Rajiv Chuni said that it is pertinent to mention here that International Human Rights Day is observed across the Globe on December 10 every year. These are moral principles or norms, which describe certain standards of human behavior and are regularly protected as legal rights in municipal and international law. They are universally understood as undeniable fundamental rights “to which a person is intrinsically entitled simply because she or he is a human being,” and which are “inherent in all human beings” regardless of their nation, location, language, religion, ethnic origin or any other status.
Human rights of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) Displaced Persons has been violated in unprecedented manner as they have been bearing the agony for the last 7 decades and this period of their exile has been the worst example of Human Rights abuse of the most destitute community which witnessed terrible genocide of their near and dear ones. “Our country is front runner in suggesting other countries for protecting the Human rights of destitute ones but it is quite unfortunate that India who advocates others is failed to protect the HR of its own displaced community i.e. People of PoK who got displaced from erstwhile parts of Jammu and Kashmir”, he added.
“Even though, India is member of United Nations but it is not a signatory of UN Refugee Law, therefore, the protection of Displaced Persons is confined to immorality taken by Government of India, leaving DPs with little protection for their civil and political rights and virtually no legal provisions for their safety and welfare. India has neither granted us the status of Refugee nor identified as Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), we were merely labeled as displaced persons and Government has never told us on what basis, we have been designated as displaced persons. Government ought to clear it and build a mechanism to deal with issues of displaced persons. Human Rights of people whose loved ones were brutally killed has been the worst sufferers as Government has no policy for Displaced persons especially who cannot go back to their ancestral places. In the whole world, there had not been such abuse of Human Rights as it would have been occurred in the case of PoK Displaced Persons. The history is witness that none of the country has taken much to rehabilitate displaced persons except which still has no policy regarding displaced persons like PoK DPs who have been spending their lives in filthy camps in inhumane conditions”, he maintained.
Mr. Chuni further said that GoI has adopted disparity while treating various displaced communities as Valley Migrants are getting all the facilities whether it is monthly cash relief, free ration, free accommodation, reservation in professional and technical colleges, employment package, income tax exemption, free housing and many more but nothing is provided to PoK DPs. I want to ask that why such sort of discrimination between communities is. Aren’t we humans? Don’t we have bellies to fill with food? Valley Migrants can go to their ancestral places as these places are lying in Indian territory but PoK DPs can’t visit their ancestral places as it is under the illegal occupation of Pakistan. Government must treat all the displaced communities with same yard stick and there must not be any discrimination”, he added.
He further said that several organizations are working tirelessly in this direction but a big query arises here “Are Human Rights of all the communities being protected? “After post independence of India, a series of human rights violation of the citizens began in October 1947, and the said terrible spree is still continued. India which is also known as the largest democracy in the world failed to protect rights of its own people (Displaced Persons) who were forcefully thrown out of their own native places”, he stated. He further added that Government of India has kept unsympathetic approach towards Displaced persons who were forcefully kicked out of PoK. He stated that Government has been talking about vacating PoK from the illegal occupation of Pakistan and the lawmakers have been reiterating this song since 1994, the year a resolution was unanimously passed in the Parliament of India. Strange it may appear, but it’s true that India is the only country in the whole which gives priority to area instead of its inhabitants”, Mr. Chuni said.
“The need of the hour is that Government must come up with a policy which will prove helpful and beneficial for displaced persons. It is the prime duty of Government of India to make a policy that will provide succor to displaced persons who are surrounded with lot of woes since their exodus from their ancestral places. One more thing which is quite mandatory to say here that all the displaced communities of India have been the victims of man made disaster and they all ought to be treated under same humane approach. There should not be any place for discrimination among several displaced communities and they all must be provided healing touch with utmost humility and honesty”, he added.
Prominent among others who addressed the meeting includes Prof. J. S. Mangal, Prof. N. N. Sharma, V. K. Datta, Ved Raj Bali, Tilak Raj Sethi, Ram Singh & Pramod Ghai.
