Members of the West Pakistani refugee community in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba on Wednesday described August 5 as their “festival of independence”, saying the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A in 2019 enabled them to secure equal rights and long-awaited recognition after decades of exclusion.
As the country marked the seventh anniversary of the constitutional changes introduced on August 5, 2019, community leaders said the day holds special significance for thousands of West Pakistani refugee families living in Jammu and Kashmir.
Lamba Ram Gandhi, president of the West Pakistani Refugee Action Committee, said the decision by the Central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked a turning point for the community.
Speaking to IANS, Gandhi said August 5, 2019, was a historic day that fulfilled a 75-year-old demand for citizenship rights and equal status in Jammu and Kashmir.
“For us, August 5 carries the same importance as August 15 does for the rest of the country. That is why our community celebrates it every year as a festival of independence and will continue to do so,” he said.
Referring to political parties that continue to observe August 5 as a “Black Day”, Gandhi said such views do not reflect the sentiments of the refugee community. He alleged that some parties continue to raise the issue of restoring Articles 370 and 35A for political reasons despite knowing that such a move is not possible.
He added that preparations for this year’s celebrations had been completed and the community would observe the occasion with the same enthusiasm as in previous years.
Another community member, Romesh Singh, said the constitutional changes ended decades of deprivation and opened new opportunities for the refugee population.
He said the revocation of Article 370 created fresh employment opportunities and renewed hope among community members. Singh also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for what he described as restoring the rights of West Pakistani refugees.
Rejecting the description of August 5 as a “Black Day”, Singh said the community regards the date as one of pride and celebration and would continue to commemorate it with traditional festivities.
Article 370, which came into effect with the Constitution of India in 1950, granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. On August 5, 2019, the Centre rendered the provision inoperative through a Presidential Order and simultaneously reorganised the former state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
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