JAMMU, Oct 22: Senior Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (JKPDP) leader and a displaced person from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), Narinder Sharma, today paid floral tributes to the martyrs who lost their lives during the Pakistani tribal invasion, backed by regular Pakistan Army personnel, on October 22, 1947.
Remembering the victims of the tragic events, Sharma said the invasion began from Muzaffarabad and advanced towards Srinagar, leaving thousands of innocent civilians, particularly members of the Hindu and Sikh communities, dead or displaced in the areas of Muzaffarabad, Mirpur and Poonch. He said the tragedy forced countless families to abandon their ancestral homes, properties and livelihoods and seek refuge in other parts of Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere in India.
Sharma said the pain of losing forefathers, family members and ancestral property continued to haunt displaced families even after nearly eight decades. He recalled that thousands of people were killed, tortured or forced to flee during the violence, while their descendants continued to struggle for recognition, rehabilitation and their rightful benefits.
Expressing concern over the unresolved issues of the displaced community, Sharma said successive governments had failed to address several long-pending demands of the displaced persons of 1947. He maintained that the community had endured decades of uncertainty and hardship while awaiting comprehensive rehabilitation and justice.
He urged the Central Government to take concrete steps to resolve all pending issues of the 1947 displaced persons, including the restoration of their allotted land allegedly under illegal occupation, registration of left-out displaced families, settlement of pending claims and sanction of the full rehabilitation package.
Sharma also called for addressing the demands relating to employment opportunities and reservation benefits, stating that benefits extended to a section of the displaced population should be examined to ensure that all eligible families receive their rightful entitlements.
Highlighting the significance of the annual Shradhanjali Samaroh observed by PoJK organisations on October 22, Sharma said the occasion was a solemn reminder of the sacrifices made by the people during the 1947 invasion. He said remembering the martyrs was not merely an act of paying homage but also a commitment to pursuing justice, dignity and recognition for the surviving displaced families and their descendants.
He appealed to the government to treat the unresolved grievances of the PoJK displaced community as a matter of urgency and ensure that the families awaiting justice for decades receive meaningful relief and rehabilitation.Prominent among those present on the occasion were Ashok Kumar, Zonal President; Vicky Dogra, In-charge, Bishnah Constituency; Rajan Sharma, Darshan Singh, Rakesh Bhagat, Sunny Sodhi, Gurdeep Bhagat and Lal Singh.