Displaced Kashmiri Pandits demand action

Tribune News Service

Ravi S Singh

New Delhi, March 27

Displaced Kashmiri Pandits on Sunday met under the aegis of the All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS) and unanimously demanded punitive action against the culprits and perpetrators of the crimes of genocide against them in Kashmir.

The well-attended meeting, which was presided over by AIKS president Dr Ramesh Raina, termed the “genocide” as one of the egregious and ghastly crime against humanity.

Participants, who were from diverse fields and across the country, apparently displayed sombre and injured feelings at having been driven from their home and hearth.

They alleged that the details of the human tragedy were buried under contrived narrative by vested interests, and apathy of successive regimes at the Centre and in Jammu and Kashmir.

The AIKS is an umbrella body of organisations of displaced Pandits.

The trigger for the meeting was the wide-ranging debate, and laudatory appreciation of the film, ‘The Kashmir Files’. The film depicts in graphic details of the chilling horror. It has put international focus to the flight of the community on January 23, 1990.

“Punishing the culprits of the genocide is important in the overall Justice for Kashmiri Pandits which has eluded them for all these 32 years,” anchor of the meeting’s proceedings, and AIKS functionary Vinod K Pandita said.

The meeting was convened to discuss the issue threadbare and evolve a collective community response to the situation and demand a punitive action against the culprits and perpetrators of the crimes.

The meeting resolved for “Reversal of Genocide and punishment under genocide and Crimes against Humanity laws as an initial step towards meaningful CBMs and way forward for the Restitution, Return and Rehabilitation of the exiled community back to Valley”.

The resolution of the meeting was in line with AIKS’ Chandigarh Declaration (January 23, 2022) on the basis of which it prepared a Vision Document.

Addressing the meeting, Raina thanked Vivek Agnihotri for the TKF film and its powerful depiction of the exodus and genocide.

“The wheels of natural Justice though move slowly but grind heavily,” Raina said.

It has set a national narrative to bring the culprits to Justice by appointing a Commission of Inquiry to probe the circumstances under which Pandits were forced to flee following their large scale killings.

AIKS in this regard had already filed a Civic writ petition in the Supreme Court of India in 2006 which was later transferred to J&K High Court in 2016.

In the light of changing political narrative, Raina called for its speedy adjudication.

Raina condemned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s remarks about the movie, terming it as “highly irresponsible”.

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