S. O. S. International pays tribute to martyrs of Muzaffarabad

Jammu, October 22 (Scoop News) –S. O. S. International, an Organisation for PoK Refugees (Regd.) convened a meeting in  today of its office bearers and executive members in office premises of Jammu  to pay rich triubets to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives while fighting back in the name of defending their nativity against the tribal & Pakistani forces in Muzaffarabad (now in PoK) which was a part of Jammu and Kashmir. On this 22nd day of October, 1947 the tribal from Pakistan invaded Muzaffarabad and then started their attacks in other parts of Jammu and Kashmir. In defending these attacks a large number of Hindus & Sikhs lost their lives and these Martyrs have done so for the integrity of the State then.  These Martyrs are in remembrance for all times to come and today we pay homage to these Martyrs.

While paying his tributes to the Martyrs of Muzaffarabad Rajiv Chuni Chairman S. O. S. International – An Organisation for PoK Refugees said that this attack on Jammu and Kashmir compelled Hindus & Sikhs in thousands to flee from their native places leaving behind thousands of their kith & kin dead and wounded and moved to safer places in the State and outside the State. This way large number of Hindus & Sikhs fled and some how managing to pass the remaining days of their life in grave poverty in Jammu and else where in the Country. It is all grieving that these Refugees from PoK are unsettled till date, their miseries & woes stand as it were and they have been continuing to live in camps. It is for the last 64 years that the Refugees from PoK have gone unheard ignoring that they are the bonafide permanent residents and part and parcel of J&K State (undivided then) and hold this status and are legally and humanitarianly entitled to privileges bestowed to the State populate under the Constitution.

The Chairman of S. O. S. International said that both the Central & State governments have remained rather mute spectators to the miseries of the PoK Refugees and it has only been the lip sympathies which have been projected from time to time. Wisely saying there can be no such precedence in the world where a basic native is made a refugee in his own country / state.

Mr. Chuni said the think tanks of the State and the Country, who speak loud about the democracy they hold and the human rights they adhere to, have never found a time to go deep to our problems and get a meaningful and sustainable solution.

The Chairman of S. O. S. International at the end said the governments have changed at the centre and so in the state for the last 64 years but no government has made positive approach to solve the problems of the Refugees from PoK knowing that the places (Muzaffarabad, Mirpur & Poonch) from where they have come had been a part of this State of Jammu and Kashmir.

The other speakers made a strong appeal to the State and Central government to come forward with positive attitude to solve the problem and grant this community of PoK Refugees all that they are entitled to. Hope Good Sense prevails and an end is brought to our miseries.

At the conclusion of the meet a two minute silence was observed to pay heartfelt homage to the Martyrs who sacrificed their lives then.

The main participants in today’s meet included Dr. Gurmeet Singh, Suchwant Singh, R C Sharma, J. S. Mangal, Netar Parkash, Lalit Kumar, Paramjeet Singh, Roshan Malhotra, Mohinder Singh, Harbans Singh, Balwant Rai Bali, Kundan Lal, Kulwant Singh Bali, Roshan Lal, Arun Khajuria, Dr. Iqbal Singh, Pradeep Gupta, Om Parkash, Sandeep Kumar, J. N. Thappar, Ashwani Kumar, Ajay Dutta, Roshan Lal and others.