Migrants face Govt apathy

While the state government turned a blind eye to their problems, the local Town Welfare Committee managed to collect 10 chapatis each from each home in the area for the migrants in an effort to assuage their condition. For the second bleak day also the committee president, Manmohan Kapoor, organised a community langar for the migrant families with staterelief nowhere in sight.

Most of the migrants bitterly complained of the callous attitude of the government. They also accused it of having failed to protect their lives and property.

Three elderly women, who were sitting in one corner of the room, broke down when asked as to what had forced them to leave their native places. “We have seen three wars, but unprovoked firing by Pakistan has made our lives so miserable that it has become difficult even to go out to respond to our calls of nature,” Geeta said.

Referring to the pace of Pakistan firing on border villages, a shopkeeper Vijay Kumar Sharma said: “This is perhaps for the first time that we are seeing our children playing without fear.” Monika and Meena, both class VII students, said they had to literally crawl to reach their school in view of Pakistan firing on many occasions.

Problems the migrants faced varied from the extremely personal to broad social issues. Newly-married Babli was concerned that she may be considered a bad omen for hervillage and be ostracized, while ex-service man Sadhu Singh said they had to purchase medicines from the market even for the smallest cause in the difficult times. Even veterinary doctors demanded money for issuing a certificate in case of injury to cattle, he alleged.

Frustrated migrants pulled down the local MLA Prem Chand from the dias snatching his mike to show their anger against the administration. Women raised slogans against him and the ruling National Conference (NC).

Other political parties and interests were quick to jump in to join the issue. Lal Singh, an MLA from the tehsil, said it was “a shame on part of the state and the Central Government that they had failed to protect the lives and property of the people”. The state BJP president Daya Krishan Kotwal blamed the NC Government for not providing relief to people affected by Pakistan firing.

The Town Welfare Committee president, meanwhile, assured the migrant families of every possible help till Government aid arrived. Majority of themigrants refused to return to their native villages until the Government initiated measures for their safety.