Jammu, April 6:
A high-level delegation from the All Jammu and Kashmir Jatt Sabha, led by President and former Minister S. Manjit Singh, called on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Jammu today. The meeting served as a platform to submit a detailed memorandum addressing long-standing grievances of the Jatt community, displaced persons (DPs), and those residing along the volatile border areas.
Key Demands: Culture, Education, and Identity
The delegation placed heavy emphasis on the preservation of heritage and the advancement of the younger generation. Key points included:
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Statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh: The Sabha requested the installation of a statue in Jammu to honor the “welfare-oriented rule” of the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.
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Educational Support: The memorandum urged the government to establish dedicated hostels for Jatt students (both boys and girls) coming from far-flung areas like Kathua and Poonch, alongside scholarships for meritorious, economically weaker students.
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Official Status for Punjabi: A formal demand was made to grant Punjabi official language status in J&K and to include it in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
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Jatt Bhawan: The construction of a community hub (Jatt Bhawan) in Jammu district.
Refugee Rights and Economic Justice
The Sabha highlighted the plight of displaced persons from 1965 and 1971, including Chhamb refugees, focusing on:
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Ownership Rights: Simplifying procedures to grant proprietary rights over land allotted to refugees and displaced persons.
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Rehabilitation Package: A request for the J&K government to take up the release of the full ₹25 lakh rehabilitation package with the Centre, noting that only ₹5.5 lakh has been disbursed thus far.
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OBC Status: A call for the grant of Other Backward Class (OBC) status for Jatts in Central Government jobs and professional institutions.
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Compensation for Defense Land: Seeking fair compensation for farmers whose lands are utilized for “ahead-of-fence” areas and the “ditch-cum-bandh.”
Employment and Security
To combat rising unemployment among border youth, the delegation proposed:
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Special Recruitment Drives: Targeted hiring for Jatts, refugees, and border dwellers within the Indian Army, Paramilitary forces, J&K Police, and civil administration.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah gave the delegation a patient hearing, acknowledging the complexity of the issues raised.
“Regarding issues related to the Central Government, I will highlight them before the concerned authorities so they can be addressed,” the Chief Minister assured, promising to “do the needful” regarding demands within the Union Territory’s jurisdiction.
The delegation featured a “who’s who” of community leadership, including:
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Tarlok Singh Bajwa (Chief Patron & Ex-MP)
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Choudhary Sukhnandan & Choudhary Garu Ram (Ex-Ministers)
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Taranjit Singh Tony (Ex-DDC)
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Choudhary Dwarka (District President Jammu Urban)
