Jagti migrant camp quarters in deteriorating state: J&K Cong chief

Jammu and Kashmir Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra on Saturday said that residential quarters at the Jagti Kashmiri Pandit Migrant Camp are in a “deteriorating state,” with residents continuing to face hardships.

Karra made the remarks after visiting the Jagti township in the Jammu region on the eve of Maha Shivaratri, the most important festival of the Kashmiri Pandit community, locally known as Herath.

In a post on X, Karra—who is the president of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee and MLA from Central Shalteng in Srinagar—said that “after thirty-six years of exile, our Kashmiri Pandit brothers and sisters still endure unacceptable conditions—poor maintenance, inadequate basic facilities, and persistent neglect that no community should be subjected to in its own country.”

He noted that the township was constructed and allotted during the tenure of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, but alleged that no major improvements or substantial measures have been taken since then.

The Congress leader urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to immediately constitute a joint delegation of MLAs to visit the migrant camps.

“The delegation should personally assess the ground reality and initiate concrete, time-bound measures to restore dignity and ensure humane living conditions,” he said, adding that “the call for justice and compassion cannot wait any longer.”

Meanwhile, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti extended her greetings to the Kashmiri Pandit community and others celebrating Herath.

She reiterated her party’s commitment to ensuring a “safe, dignified, and honourable” return of Kashmiri Pandits so that “they can celebrate their festivals not in exile but in their own homes, among their own people.”

“Herath is not just a festival for Kashmiri Pandits; it is a reminder for all Kashmiris of the composite culture that once thrived in our land. Let us all, regardless of faith, take inspiration from this festival and renew our commitment to rebuilding bridges of trust, love and unity,” she said.