JKSAC Appeals for Justice to Pahari Speaking POJK DPs Residing Beyond Rajouri-Poonch

jj correspondent
Jammu: The Jammu Kashmir Sharnarthi Action Committee (JKSAC), a legendary and pioneering organization representing the Displaced Persons (DPs) of 1947 from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK), has made a fervent and humble appeal to all Legislators-irrespective of party affiliation-to unanimously urge the UT Government to deliver long-overdue justice to the Pahari-speaking people residing beyond the districts of Rajouri and Poonch by granting them ST-2 status, which, the Committee asserted, is their legitimate, constitutional, and democratic right.
An earnest appeal is made to the three MLAs of the same community not only to intervene but to pursue this issue to its logical conclusion, ensuring that people residing in districts other than Rajouri and Poonch may also receive the ST 2.
Addressing the media, Gurdev Singh, President JKSAC, in the presence of senior district leaders, expressed strong resentment over the persistent injustice and discrimination being meted out to the Pahari-speaking population living outside Rajouri and Poonch. He recalled that seventy-seven years have passed since the catastrophic exodus of 22nd October 1947, when over fifty thousand families were forcibly uprooted from their native places by Pakistan-abetted tribal invaders-leaving behind countless corpses, immeasurable loss of movable and immovable properties, and, above all, their dignity and honour. He lamented that these brave Pahari-speaking DPs, who fought valiantly and unarmed to delay the tribal advance and thereby saved a large part of Indian J&K, have been denied proper recognition and documentation of their unparalleled sacrifices.
He further stated that ever since their displacement, the DPs have struggled not only to rebuild their shattered lives but also to reclaim their rightful identity. “It is astonishing,” he said, “that while the Government has rightly granted ST-2 status to the Pahari-speaking population from POJK residing in Rajouri and Poonch, their brothers and relatives settled in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, and other districts continue to be denied the same recognition, despite the undeniable fact that they share the same language, culture, and ancient Pahari heritage.” He added that displacement and resettlement cannot erase one’s ancestral heritage; rather, such communities deserve preservation and upliftment.
Citing the Constitution (J&K) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Act, 2024, he emphasized that the Pahari ethnic group is recognized for its common language, culture, and clan. “If that is so,” he questioned, “how can those whose roots lie deep in the Pahari belt of POJK be denied identical rights merely on a geographical basis?” He reminded that this position was reaffirmed by Minister Smt. Sakeena Ittoo on the floor of the House on 8th April 2025.
Highlighting the community’s persistent struggles, he said that for decades, Pahari-speaking DPs have faced severe social and economic hardships. Their youth, deprived of reservations or employment packages, are growing increasingly frustrated and disheartened due to unemployment and neglect. “DPs from POJK form one inseparable community,” he asserted, “regardless of whether they live in Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, or any other district. Denying them equal recognition and rights as granted to their kin in Rajouri and Poonch is utterly unfair and contrary to the spirit of the Constitution.”
Concluding his address, Gurdev Singh once again appealed to all Legislators to impress upon the Chief Minister and the Lt. Governor to issue necessary directives to the concerned administration for the immediate redressal of the grievances of Pahari-speaking POJK DPs residing beyond Rajouri and Poonch, and to extend ST-2 status to all eligible individuals irrespective of residence. “This,” he said, “is the only moment to correct a long-standing imbalance and deliver long-denied justice.”