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Bharat’s Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement regarding the allocation of Lok Sabha seats for Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and Kashmiri Pandits brought tears of joy to my eyes and to many others who, for many decades, awaited it to happen. This is because, for the past 75 years, the oppressed people of PoJK and Gilgit-Baltistan have been denied political representation.
One seat for PoJK and two for Kashmiri Pandits out of 24 Lok Sabha seats will be filled in 2024. Great news. However, in my opinion, one seat for PoJK has the danger of creating confusion and unwanted suspicion among the people of PoJK, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmiri refugees living in Jammu and Kashmir. Firstly, we have 1.7 million refugees from PoJK who migrated during and after November 1947 and were dumped in refugee camps without a domicile until the Modi government abrogated Article 370. They need representation in the Lok Sabha. But it should be under the category of PoJK refugees and not under the general classification of ‘PoJK’.
This is because these misplaced Kashmiris have issues that need to be specifically addressed. Their problems are different than those of the people currently living in PoJK or Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B). One of the foremost issues that needs to be addressed is the right for PoJK refugees to increase their political representation from one to at least eight members in the Lok Sabha. Likewise, issues relating to the brutal oppression that the people of PoJK and G-B endured need to be challenged, and while the PoJK refugee member of parliament(s) will be focused on solving issues of 1.7 million PoJK refugees living in Jammu and Kashmir, it is not hard to see that once again, the people of PoJK and G-B will be left out on their right for political representation in India’s Lok Sabha.
Currently, a civil disobedience movement, built around a boycott electricity campaign, has been underway in PoJK for nearly seven months. And a protest movement against cuts in wheat subsidies is proceeding in G-B.
Two good and very important things have taken place in recent weeks. One is the establishment of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee in PoJK which has brought various protest campaign groups under one umbrella organisation. In G-B, with the efforts of prominent political figure Ehsan Ali advocate and others, the split in GB Awami Action Committee that took place last year has been mended and both factions have now reconciled and collectively chosen Ehsan Ali advocate to be the chief coordinator of the reunified Gilgit-Baltistan Awami Action Committee. Wise decision.
Nominating someone from PoJK and GB as a member of Bharat’s Lok Sabha will act as a pointer for the civil disobedience movements in PoJK and G-B. It will illustrate that the BJP government is not only being vocal about PoJK, but in actuality, it has officially recognised PoJK and G-B as an integral part of the Republic. Anything short of electing a member of Lok Sabha from PoJK will not satisfy our people beyond doubt that one day, we will, in reality, become an organic part of Bharat.
I have, on many occasions, advocated setting up a PoJK and G-B dedicated office in both Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. It never happened. The year 2024 is approaching fast and as we prepare for our next general elections, let’s make a real change in the political geography of our region by including at least one person from PoJK and proving to the people of occupied territory that ‘leaving no man behind’ is just not a military slogan but is the very nature of our Sanatani parampara (tradition). I promise you that if that happens, more tears of joy will roll.
Dr Amjad Ayub Mirza is an author and a broadcaster from Mirpur in PoJK. He currently lives in the UK. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.