A 1st in 7 decades: Refugees to vote in assembly polls

“Though we have been exercising our right to franchise in parliamentary elections, we were deprived of this right in the assembly elections because we were not considered citizens of Jammu and Kashmir,” says 63-year-old Labha Ram Gandhi, president of the West Pak Refugees Action Committee of 1947.

For the first time ever the marginalised sections of society in Jammu and Kashmir, including West Pakistan refugees and Valmikis, will take part in assembly elections for the first time. “Though we have been exercising our right to franchise in parliamentary elections, we were deprived of this right in the assembly elections because we were not considered citizens of Jammu and Kashmir,” said 63-year-old Labha Ram Gandhi, president of the West Pak Refugees Action Committee of 1947.

Community members say candidates of various parties are canvassing in their localities for the first time.

After successive Kashmir-centric regimes denied them equal rights and treated them as second class citizens, Valmiki Samaj, West Pakistan Refugees and Gurkhas finally got equal rights following the revocation of Article 370 in August 2019. They were issued domicile certificates in June 2020.

Gandhi said, “These assembly elections are the first for us to vote for MLAs of our choice. We have decided that will go to polling stations in groups with drums and distribute sweets. Our dream of past seven decades has come true.”

He slammed the Kashmir-centric parties, like National Conference, PDP and Congress. West Pak refugees comprise 23,000 families with nearly 1.50 lakh votes. After migrating from Pakistan’s Sialkot, they have settled from Keeriyan Gandyal in Lakhanpur to Pallanwala in Akhnoor. Gandhi said he has issued directions to the community to vote for the BJP because they gave them the voting right.

Gharu Bhatti, 45, a prominent leader of the Valmiki community also echoed similar views. “For the first time ever, we witnessed candidates of various parties canvassing in our localities. The candidates from BJP and Congress besides other parties visited us. Earlier, none bothered to even acknowledge our existence,” said Bhatti.

Valmiki Colony in Gandhi Nagar area has around 2,000 votes and the Valmiki community has a population of around 8,000 to 10,000. “Today, we feel part of the mainstream society. Though other parties also campaigned here but our vote will go to the BJP that ended discrimination meted out to us for the past seven decades,” he added.