National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH) is an organization of Government of India that is providing financial assistance to the children of age below 25 years and belonging to the families with income less than Rs two lakh per annum affected by militancy and communalism. However, regrettably more than 50 per cent eligible from Jammu and Kashmir are missing from the enrolment list. It was revealed in a meeting held in Srinagar, chaired by the Secretary of National Foundation for Communal Harmony, Manoj Pant and co-chaired by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir. The Secretary NFCH revealed that there are 1771 children eligible to avail the assistance from NFCH. However, he said that more than 50 percent of the eligible children from J&K are missing from the enrolment list and enjoined upon DCs and DSWOs to conduct surveys and identify the eligible children. He said these children are vulnerable and need to be taken care of and properly guided. Divisional Kashmir stressed on the officers to prepare the list of eligible children on the priority basis so the financial assistance shall be provided to them and the DG Social Welfare Department Kashmir assured the meeting that a survey will be conducted and the actual status of the victim students in schools will be compiled and the reason for drop-out of such students will also be ascertained, the question remains that why the government here and the concerned departments have failed to do the requisite survey and compile such lists.
Jammu and Kashmir has been hit by violence from early 1990’s and thousands have fallen prey to the violence. More than any other place, Jammu and Kashmir needed such surveys. We have full-fledged department of social welfare and the concerned authorities should be questioned why is it that such surveys were never taken up. Why it needed the intervention of National Foundation for Communal Harmony that prompted the social welfare department to go for such survey. There are thousands of victims of violence here. Had the survey been done timely and properly, so many children would have got proper education and build up their carriers.
That said, whatever the reason for this delay, the Union Territory government should now pull up its socks and take the project seriously and priority basis. What has been decided in yesterday’s meeting, need to be taken to the logical conclusion. People of Jammu and Kashmir have suffered immensely. The intervention of the NFCH has a potential to help the victim children. This is an opportunity that should not be missed. The divisional commissioner should ensure that deputy commissioners and the social welfare department gears up to compile the lists of deserving people so that they are in a position to take benefit of NFCH schemes and programmes.
