Article 370 abrogation: West Pakistani refugees in J&K call August 5 a ‘festival of independence’
Samba: As the country marks the seventh anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 on Wednesday, members of the West Pakistani refugee community in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba described the occasion as their “festival of independence”, saying the constitutional changes paved the way for them to receive equal rights and long-awaited recognition.
Article 370 was abrogated on August 5, 2019, after the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi revoked the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir through a Presidential Order, ending the constitutional provisions that had granted it special autonomy.
Lamba Ram Gandhi, president of the West Pakistani Refugee Action Committee, along with other members of the refugee community, said that August 5, 2019, became a landmark date in their lives because it enabled them to secure the rights and recognition they had been demanding for decades.
Speaking to IANS, Lamba Ram Gandhi said, “August 5, 2019, was the icing on the cake for West Pakistani refugee families. For the past 75 years, the community had been waiting for citizenship and equal rights in Jammu and Kashmir, which became possible after the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A. August 5 holds the same significance as August 15 for the entire country. That’s why our community celebrates this day as a festival every year and will continue this tradition in the future.”
Commenting on political parties and leaders who continue to describe August 5 as a “Black Day”, Gandhi said such assertions did not reflect the sentiments of the refugee community and were being made for political reasons.
“This may be my personal opinion, but my community disagrees with it. Some political parties, driven by vote bank politics, are misleading people by claiming that Articles 370 and 35A will be reinstated, even though they know this is impossible. These parties have no other issues left, so they are raising this issue to mislead people,” Gandhi said.
He further stated that all arrangements for this year’s celebrations had already been completed and that the community would mark the occasion with the same enthusiasm, grandeur and festive spirit as in previous years.
Another member of the West Pakistani refugee community, Romesh Singh, said that before the constitutional changes of August 5, 2019, people from his community had been deprived of several rights and opportunities.
Speaking to IANS, Singh said, “After the revocation of Article 370, the community experienced renewed enthusiasm, and employment opportunities began to emerge. For them, August 5 is no less than a national festival, and they celebrate it with great enthusiasm every year.”
Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Singh thanked both leaders for what he described as restoring the rights of the West Pakistani refugee community.
Responding to political parties that observe August 5 as a “Black Day”, Singh said such statements had no bearing on the sentiments of the refugee community.
“Such statements have no impact on his community. Whether someone calls it a Black Day or by any other name, August 5 is a day of honour and joy for them. The community members will celebrate the occasion with drums and festivities and will continue to celebrate it as a festival of joy,” he said.
Article 370 became part of the Constitution of India when it came into force in 1950. Since its inception, it remained one of the most debated constitutional provisions because it granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
On August 5, 2019, the provision was rendered inoperative, and Jammu and Kashmir was simultaneously reorganised into two separate Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh — bringing an end to its earlier constitutional status.
