Key Takeaways
- The Kashmiri Pandit community is seeking to return to their homeland, but face several challenges.
- The community demands strengthening of the security grid, social security, and creation of safe-living zones.
- A Kashmiri Pandit Action Committee has been formed to facilitate the return and rehabilitation of the community.
In a press conference organized by leaders of the Kashmiri Pandit community on Thursday, May 29, Dr Sandeep Mawa alleged that the plight of their community is being used by one percent of Kashmiri Pandits for their personal gains and career opportunities. He stated, ‘These are the very people who say that the situation in Kashmir is sensitive whenever we talk about our return, but when it is time for job packages or fighting elections, their relatives and family members are the ones who take up these roles.’
‘The central and regional governments should be ashamed of themselves for saying that Kashmiri Pandits are not ready to move back to Kashmir. A few days back, we asked our community members whether they would like to go back, using Google Forms, and 1800 families of Kashmiri Pandits assented to the proposal. Now, the question is whether the central government would introduce the Genocide Bill, a demand we first put out 3 years ago, and whether the Modi-government would set up a fact-finding committee to unravel what all happened to members of our community during the 1990s’, asserted Dr Mawa.
‘This Omar Abdullah-led government is hand in glove with terrorists, and so was the Mehbooba Mufti government. Similarly, even if it is a Congress government or a CPI one, anarchy prevails. For 4-5 years after the removal of Article 370 in 2019, there was peace in Kashmir, but as soon as the current government came into power, terrorism started raising its head again’, he further added.
The Kashmiri Pandit community has several demands for their return to Kashmir Valley. These include strengthening of the security grid, social security, and creation of safe-living zones. At least one job per family is also a key demand.
‘Further, a separate union budget for the welfare and upliftment of the displaced community and their religious institutions; minority status for the community and the creation of a separate minority board; the government of India should set up an empowered committee for the return and permanent settlement of the community; the creation of IT hubs in Kashmir for the welfare of the Kashmiri Pandits’ children presently working in Indian and foreign companies, so that they gradually shift back to their native places; overaged youth of the community should be suitably accommodated with soft loans and relaxation in government rules’, Dr Mawa said.
He continued, To facilitate the return and rehabilitation of the Kashmiri Pandit community, a Kashmiri Pandit Action Committee has been formed. This committee will comprise prominent members from various fields.
Along with this, ex-relief commissioner, Ashok Pandit, said, ‘In the last 35 years, the “leaders” of the Kashmiri Pandit community, sitting in Delhi, built bungalows, got their children educated, sent them abroad, and kept leveraging our exodus. Those who are opposing the form being circulated by Dr Mawa are the ones who went to Kashmir themselves to fight elections, became Panch and Sarpanch, took part in MLA, MLC elections.’
‘We are not interested in politics; we simply want to go back to our motherland which we had to leave 35 years ago. This form would let us know how many want to go back, because many, who have settled in other states and metropolitan cities like Delhi, or in foreign countries, have zero interest in returning. So, this is to understand the pulse of the people. This is not a short-term process, and spanning across three stages of return, rehabilitation, and permanent settlement, the completion would take at least 5 years’, added Ashok Pandit.
