Demand for policy for return of J-K pandits

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 20

A voluntary organisation working for welfare of migrants from Jammu and Kashmir, especially Kashmiri Pandits, has urged the Centre and the UT administration to give priority on a policy for their return to their native place.

The organisation, named “Reconciliation, Return and Rehabilitation of Migrants”, demanded allocation of 0.5 per cent funds of annual Budget of Jammu and Kashmir on a recurring basis for return and rehabilitation of the pandits.

“This fund should be over and above the current welfare migrant Budget,” Chairman of Reconciliation, Return and Rehabilitation, Satish Mahaldar said.

Mahaldar said that it was obligatory on the part of Union government and the UT administration to protect the rights of the pandits, who are not only minorities, but also “aborigines”

The years of victimisation and suffering of the Pandits must be taken not of and planned process must be now followed for the return and rehabilitation with dignity ensuring along with the restoration of their rights, including dignity.

The organisation also demanded inclusion of names of the Kashmiri pandits during the delimitation process to restore their political and other demicratic rights.

Since 1990, more than four-lakh people who were victims of the communal conflagration in Kashmir are unable to exercise their democratic rights.

They were forced to flee from the Valley in the wake of their alleged “genocide”, and “ethnic and cultural cleansing”.

Mahaldar said the victims  are unable to cast their votes, which is the basic foundation of democracy.