Shadow Correspondent
JAMMU, MAY 24:
Expressing immense shock over the loss of property and life caused by the persistent heavy mortar shelling and firing by Pakistan on the forward villages of IB in Kathua, Samba and Jammu districts, a strong contingent of Panther activists staged a massive protest demonstration spearheaded by Mr. Harsh Dev Singh Chairman JKNPP and Mr.Yash Paul Kundal State President Young Panthers at Exhibition Ground Jammu today. While torching the effigy of the BJP, the angry protestors slammed the Central as well as the State government for their despicable apathy and gross failure to provide 5 Marla plots at safer zones to the border residents of Jammu region as promised by both the governments.
Harsh Dev Singh while addressing the media condemned Pakistan for pounding the forward villages all along the IB with heavy shelling and firing which had thrown the life of the people out of gear. He said that the border residents were living in horrifying atmosphere and the BJP partnered State government had paid no heed to their plight and miseries as of now. He pointed out that the children, women and aged were the worst sufferers of the Pak misadventure who were looking at the administration for an immediate relief and rehabilitation to safer zones. He regretted that severe lack of ambulance and allied health services besides defunct Primary Health Centers in the forward hamlets had led to deaths of the injured people which otherwise could have been prevented by timely intervention. He added that several human lives and livestock had perished during incessant firing and shelling besides heavy damage had been caused to the houses and crops of the local residents. Deeply anguished over the miserable plight of the border dwellers all along the IB in Jammu region, Mr. Singh expressed his resentment against both the Central and State governments for doling promises and assurances to the border residents time and again for their relief and rehabilitation but nothing tangible had been delivered so far.
He reiterated his demanded for an immediate allotment of 5 Marla of land for each family at safer zones, special recruitment drives, reservation akin to ALC residents, adequate bunkers for emergency situation, ex-gratia to the family of the person killed in Pak firing and to those injured and employment for the next of kin of the deceased and adequate assessment based compensation for the loss of crops, cattle stock and damaged houses as relief measures for the affected people living in the forward hamlets.
Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included Rajesh Padgotra, Mrs. Manju Singh, Mrs. Kesar Parveen, Sham Gorkha, Gagan Partap Singh, Shanker Singh Chib, K.K Sharma, Khajoor Singh, Nirmal Kishore, Rajesh Gondhi, Rashpaul Singh, Partap Singh, Mohinder Singh, Udhayveer Singh, Sansar Chand, Ashok Chouhan, Rakesh Verma, Sunny Singh, Rahul Singh besides others.
