'Misplaced' since 1947: PoK residents

Jammu : At least 10 lakh people who are at present settled in 39 camps across the Jammu region in Jammu and Kashmir, a majority of whose ancestors migrated to India from the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) during partition, are still "misplaced" even after 72 years of exile, rue refugees.

They believe revocation of Article 370 by the central government, which comes into effect on October 31, will automatically pave their way directly to the central government to get their issues settled, largely rehabilitation.

"We are facing step-motherly treatment over the past seven decades. Frankly speaking, we are not displaced but misplaced," Rajiv Chunni, Chairman of the SOS International Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, an organisation advocating the cause of PoK displaced persons, told IANS here.

He said during Article 370 there was the state within the state.

"The state was largely dominated by the Kashmiri leadership, which was against our rehabilitation.

In fact, it was not concerned about our issues as they considered us not their vote bank," Chunni, who is born and brought up in India, said.

"Authorities were actually treating us like slaves by not addressing their genuine grievances and demands."

The main demand of 10 lakh PoK refugees include increasing the scope of a central package.

The other demands include grant of facilities to all displaced at par with migrants in the valley, reservation of at least eight seats for them in the state Legislative Assembly and permission to visit their religious places in PoK.