Samba, August 5: Ahead of the anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A from Jammu and Kashmir, the Western Pakistani refugee community in Samba district is gearing up to celebrate August 5 as a historic day for the restoration of their rights. The President of the West Pakistani Refugee Action Committee, Lamba Ram Gandhi, along with other community members, expressed that August 5, 2019, marks a significant milestone in their lives, as it paved the way for the long-awaited rights they had been denied for years.
In an interview, Lamba Ram Gandhi described August 5, 2019, as a day that proved to be a blessing for Western Pakistani refugee families. For the past 75 years, this community has awaited citizenship and equal rights in Jammu and Kashmir, which became possible after the removal of Article 370 and 35A. The significance of this date for them is comparable to that of August 15 for the entire nation. Therefore, their community celebrates this day annually and intends to continue this tradition in the future.
He emphasized, “As long as we are alive, we will celebrate August 5 just as the entire nation celebrates August 15.”
Gandhi also commented on political parties and leaders who refer to August 5 as “Black Day.” He stated that this may be their personal opinion, but the community does not share this sentiment. Some political parties are misleading people under the guise of vote bank politics by claiming that Article 370 and 35A will be reinstated, even though they know it is not feasible. These parties have no other issues left, so they attempt to confuse the public by raising this topic.
He noted that preparations for this year’s August 5 celebrations are complete, and the event will be marked with the same enthusiasm and grandeur as before.
Meanwhile, Western Pakistani refugee Romesh Singh shared that prior to August 5, 2019, their community was deprived of many rights. Following the abrogation of Article 370, a new sense of hope emerged within the community, and job opportunities began to arise. For them, August 5 is no less than a national festival, celebrated with great zeal each year. Romesh Singh expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for the rights granted to their community.
Regarding the political parties labeling August 5 as “Black Day,” Romesh Kumar stated that such remarks do not affect their community. Whether it is called “Black Day” or something else, for them, August 5 is a day of honor and joy. The community will celebrate this occasion with drums and festivities, continuing to mark it as a day of happiness.
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