Sir — This refers to the article, “J&K’s ignored Indian citizens” (January 16) by Hari Om. The plight of West Pakistani refugees, who migrated to Jammu & Kashmir in 1947, is deeply distressing. While all Sikh and Hindu refugees from West Pakistan, who settled in other parts of India, received their citizenships, those who moved to Jammu & Kashmir were left behind, clearly because successive Governments at the Centre and the State feared upsetting Kashmir’s Muslim-majority character.
When years of agitation by these refugees are about to bear fruit, Kashmiri separatists have stirred a communal storm. The matter must be resolved. Separatists cannot be allowed to dictate the agenda when it comes to granting citizenship to Indians.