J&K residents gather at DC office, fill forms for return

Apr 28, 2020, 04:04 IST

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Ludhiana: A large number of Jammu and Kashmir residents stuck in Ludhiana and surrounding areas gathered at the deputy commissioner’s office with requests to return home.
Students and traders from J&K stranded in the city and the neighbouring towns of Raikot and Jagraon are yet to leave, as there is uncertainty whether they will be allowed beyond Lakhanpur in Kathua, which shares border with Pathankot district of Punjab.
“We are nearly 230 persons, mostly from Kupwara district of Kashmir and into shawl trade. Many of us had come in last September to sell shawls during winter and were to leave around March 21. As we were preparing to leave, the government imposed lockdown,” said 21-year-old Jahangir Ahmed Mir of Kenyal Ramhall in Kupwara. He, along with his 60-year-old father Abdul Ahad Mir and uncle Abdul Aziz Mir, has been living in Iqbal Ganj Chowk. “I had applied for a curfew pass online on April 22, but didn’t get it. On Monday, I reapplied and am waiting for a response. Earlier, the authorities were not allowing people to go beyond Lakhanpur and would put them at a quarantine centre there, but now we have heard that they are allowing.”
He added that most of the persons stuck here lived in Iqbal Ganj Chowk, Neem Waala Chowk and near bus stand.
The gathering said they had gone to the Ludhiana DC’s office at 10am and later their representatives met the officials, who gave them forms to fill. They added that they submitted the forms and returned to their rented accommodations by 4pm.
Abdul Ahad said his wife was ill and his three children, two sons and a daughter, at home were too young to look after her. “They also are worried about us,” he added.
The J&K residents said the district administration should facilitate their return, just like Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan governments were doing.
Nazir Ahmed of Kupwara said their acquaintances stuck in Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan have reached home and the Punjab government should also help them.