Treat us on par with migrant Pandits, says Hindu body

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 26

Non-migrant Kashmiri Pandits today urged the government to grant them all benefits given to the migrants outside the Valley.

“We have been ignored by the successive governments. As we are internally displaced, we demand that we too should get all benefits given to migrant Pandits. A large number of non-migrants too have left behind our ancestral properties and are currently living in rented accommodations,” said Hindu Welfare Society, Kashmir (HWSK), president Chunni Lal Bhat after a meeting of the non-migrant Pandit body held here today.

Bhat said the HWSK members from various districts of the Valley attended the meeting and raised issues facing the community.

“Members of all districts attended the meeting and demanded relief and rehabilitation. Unfortunately, the government only talks about relief and rehabilitation of the migrants and does not bother much about those (Pandits) who stayed behind (after the eruption of militancy),” he said.

Around 650 non-migrant Pandit families are currently living across the Valley and they, for long, have been alleging indifferent treatment by the successive state governments as well as the Centre.

The HWSK demands include minority status for non-migrant Pandits, job package for the youth,rehabilitation for internally displaced members and passing of the Protection of Hindu Temples and Shrines Bill in the state Assembly.

Meanwhile, the non-migrants also urged the government to come clear over recent reports of resumption of registration of people from the Valley as “migrants” in Jammu.

“These reports have sent confusing signals…was this registration open for political activists only or for non-migrants as well…the government should fully clear its stand. Such reports are bound to create confusion as the government for long has been talking about bringing back the migrants,” Bhat said.