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Relief still eludes Chamb refugees

By Our Staff Reporter

Jammu Jan. 29. In a clear contravention of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recommendations, thousands of refugees, who migrated during the 1971 Indo-Pak. war from Chamb area (now under Pakistan), have been denied relief, which was promised to them more than two and a half years back.

The order was then passed with the concurrence of the representatives of the Union Home Ministry.Chamb area was ceded to Pakistan under the Shimla agreement in 1971 when the ceasefire line was rationalised as line of control (LoC) between the two countries. Following this decision, thousands of families of Chamb became `homeless' and they had to take shelter in camps or with their relatives in various areas of Jammu, termed as non-camp refugees.

Till now there has been no rehabilitation package from the Central Government for them.

Sometime ago, the State unit of the Peoples' Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) took up their case to the NHRC.

After prolonged hearings, the Commission, on the merit of the case in June 2000, asked the Central Government to give an interim monetary relief of Rs. 25,000 to every displaced family.

The Commission gave a three-month "time period " and said that the case for further relief would remain open. After nearly one year, the authorities sent to the State a three-member team of the Home Ministry headed by the Joint Secretary for implementation of the NHRC order.

The team held talks with the State Government and also with the refugees' representatives.

The State Government was asked to make the list of refugees afresh and send it to the Central Government.

Capt. Yudvir Singh, a representative of the refugees says, ``It is the duty of the State to rehabilitate the thousands of families which were uprooted by a decision in which they had no say.

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