Jammu :- With the Election Commission announcing the schedule for the first-ever assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir after it was reorganised into a Union Territory, West Pakistani refugees — who will vote for the first time in these elections — are gearing up to participate in this democratic process.
A meeting of community members is scheduled for next week to strategise for the polls, marking a historic moment for the refugees who have long awaited the right to vote.
The elections will take place in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1, with the votes being counted on October 4.
Assembly elections are being held in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to the region, in August 2019.
This is also the first time that West Pakistani refugees, alongside members of the Valmiki Samaj, will have the opportunity to vote in assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Laba Ram Gandhi, president of the Pakistan Refugees’ Action Committee, expressed his enthusiasm for the elections.
“This is the first time we will be participating in the assembly elections after more than seven decades of our settlement here,” he said.
Gandhi emphasised the importance of internal discussions among community members to ensure effective representation in the new assembly.
The meeting, expected to take place either on August 20 or August 22, will gather around 200 delegates from across the Jammu region.
The topics of discussion will include potential candidates for support and the possibility of fielding their own candidates.
Historically, the community — primarily consisting of Hindus and Sikhs who migrated from Pakistan in 1947 — had only been eligible to vote in Lok Sabha elections until the recent changes in their status.
In 2020, they participated in the District Development Council elections for the first time.
Garu Bhatti, president of the Valmiki Samaj Sabha, shared his sentiment about the election announcement, calling it a “joyous moment.”
He highlighted the long-standing plight of the Valmiki community, which was brought to Jammu and Kashmir in 1957 for sanitation work but had been denied voting rights for decades.
“Now we will finally have a chance to elect representatives who can address our daily issues,” Bhatti said and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for granting their long-awaited rights.
Meanwhile, All J&K Gorkha Sabha president Karuna Gorkha expressed support for the BJP, citing its efforts to improve their living conditions and granting citizenship rights.
The Gorkha community, originally settled from Nepal to assist the Dogra army, now enjoys voting rights in both general and assembly elections — a status denied to them prior to the abrogation of Article 370.
As the West Pakistani refugees and other marginalised communities prepare for this landmark election, their collective voices are set to shape the political landscape of the Jammu region.
