Pakistan refugees, Valmikis, Gurkhas debut as Assembly voters

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 RS Pura who cast their votes for the assembly elections in J&K.

“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.

“It is a red-letter day in the history of these three communities, particularly West Pakistan refugees. We became part of true democracy in J&K 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 said.

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.

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.

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 RS 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. 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 J&K. There was a black spot on our foreheads. Today, it has been removed by the Central government,” Kumar said.

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 are now citizens of J&K,” Suresh Chhetri said.