BJP will not succeed in deceiving community anymore; our people will be deciding factor in all future elections: Chuni
NOWSHERA, May 19: The SOS International, a leading organization fighting for the rights of PoJK displaced persons, today came down heavily on the BJP for maintaining a ‘criminal silence’ on the legitimate issues concerning PoJK refugees, saying “The party will no longer succeed in deceiving community members.”
In a fervent appeal, the SOS International urged all PoJK displaced persons in Rajouri and Poonch districts not to become proxies for any particular political party. It made it clear that the lakhs of community members would be a decisive factor in all upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a largely-attended mass awareness rally in Nowshera town ahead of Lok Sabha poll on Anantnag-Rajouri seat, Rajiv Chuni, chairman of the SOS International, expressed serious concerns over the continued neglect of the PoJK displaced persons by the political parties, particularly the ruling BJP at the Centre, saying “it (BJP) failed to keep its promises made with the community”.
“No political party is worried about PoJK displaced persons. While the concerns of every section or community are being addressed, nobody is ready to speak on the legitimate issues of PoJK refugees,” Mr Chuni said, adding “Our biggest grievance is with the BJP, which had always enjoyed the wholehearted support of PoJK people in Rajouri and Poonch districts. Our issues have been pushed to the backburner and put in the cold storage. All promises made to PoJK refugees remained unfulfilled”.
The senior refugee leader said, “The list of broken promises was long and painful. Our land rights were snatched away, a promised relief package for PoJK displaced persons was abruptly stopped, and the commitment to provide employment to educated youth from the community went unheeded. Additionally, the promised Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for Paharis was granted selectively and purely on political considerations, benefiting only those living in Rajouri and Poonch while excluding their relatives and loved ones in other parts of Jammu and the country”.
Mr Chuni pointed out there was nowhere in the Act that only people living in Rajouri and Poonch would be granted ST status.
The chairman of the organisation also took a dig at the BJP for seeking votes in favour of a newly-floated Kashmir political party. “The BJP should have contested from the Anantnag-Rajouri seat to see the real picture—whether the people supported their decisions and agenda. The BJP made us servants and now servants of servants. Firstly, you used to seek votes for yourself, but now the BJP is seeking votes for a Kashmir-based political party. This is a political farce. You need to understand this well-orchestrated conspiracy. We want to ask, if one Kashmiri is wrong, the second one is wrong, how come the third Kashmir can be right?”
Mr Chuni said the people who are being labeled as wrong have remained the part of the BJP government. “This is sheer politics. We don’t get into this dirty politics. Our concern is why our issues have been pushed to the backburner. Nobody is talking about our genuine issues. It feels bad to see our people suffering. Through today’s rally, we are here to make our people aware as well as make them a fervent appeal to get united. This is not the last election. Thereafter, Assembly elections will be held, and then Lok Sabha polls again”.
He emphasized the power of the vote, urging his community to recognize their potential influence. “If you are united and have the power of vote, the political parties will start feeling that you are the deciding factor in the victory or defeat of their candidates. They will come to you and bow down before you”, Mr Chuni said as his words met with a chorus of agreement and applause.
He emphasized the importance of unity and strategic voting, saying “We have data of every individual of the PoJK community living in Rajouri and Poonch districts. We need to decide collectively and vote unanimously for a single party to ensure its victory”.
Recalling the past support and obstacles, he added, “We must remember the political parties and leaders who announced and helped distribute relief packages for us. We should also not forget those who always created hurdles in resolving our issues, extending all facilities for displaced persons from Kashmir, particularly Kashmiri Pandits”.
Mr Chuni reiterated the community’s long-standing demand for political empowerment. “We have repeatedly made it clear that we are being forced to fight for our rights on roads. The PoJK people should be politically empowered. Numerous committees and commissions have recommended reserving eight seats in the J&K Assembly for PoJK refugees. Unfortunately, we were given only one seat, while KPs still residing in Kashmir have been allocated two seats”, he said
He urged the PoJK community to learn from past mistakes and stand united against politicians who have shown discriminatory and indifferent attitudes. “We want to reiterate our support for the political parties or politicians who have openly supported our cause and announced relief packages for us,” Mr Chuni declared.
“This will send a clear message to all political parties: they will get our support and votes only if they commit to protecting our interests, securing our children’s future, and addressing our issues. Our support will be the deciding factor in the victory of Lok Sabha and Assembly candidates,” he said.
Expressing frustration with the current political discourse, Mr Chuni said, “Shamelessly, politicians have not uttered a single word about the genuine issues confronting the PoJK community, yet they seek votes for a particular candidate. We will not tolerate this anymore. People are now fully aware politically. We need to unite on a single platform and send a strong message to political parties that they can’t deceive PoJK refugees anymore. There is no need to be a proxy for any political party”.
“It is time to return their support with interest,” he said, adding “Whatever SOS International decides will be communicated through WhatsApp groups and other social media platforms”.
Others who addressed the meeting are V K Datta, Ved Raj Bali, Jagjit Singh, Daleep Chib, Satinder Dev Gupta, Dr. Daleep Choudhary, Gurdip Bhardwaj, Dheeraj Sharma, Pritam Sharma, Aakash Sharma, Sanjay Choudhary & Tarvinder Kumar.