Do not ignore terror victims: KPs to Centre

Sumit Hakhoo
Tribune News Service
Jammu, June 25

Ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s two-day visit to the state, displaced Kashmiri Pandits have urged the Centre not to ignore the militancy victims who have suffered for the last three decades and are still waiting for resettlement.

Shah will only visit the Valley on June 26 and 27 to review the security situation.

With speculations rife that ‘backchannel diplomacy’ has softened the stance of the Hurriyat Conference which could bring them to the table for talks with the BJP-led Central government in the coming months, representative organisations of the Pandits say the government needs to fulfil the promises and commitments made to them as they are also stakeholders.

“We hope the Home Minister will deliver justice to the militancy victims. For the last three decades, Pandits have suffered at the hands of armed groups and fundamentalists,” said Ajay Chrangoo, chairman, Panun Kashmir.

The NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on November 18, 2015, approved a Rs 2,000-crore job package and a housing project for the resettlement of Pandits in the Valley, but its progress has been slow. Even the construction of multistorey housing units in the Valley is going on at a snail’s pace.

“During the first term of the BJP-led Central government, no effort was made to address our issues. We are also stakeholders as we have suffered due to the Kashmir conflict,” said Sanjay Tikku, president, Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti, a group of non-migrant Hindus.

The Central government has failed to speed up the recruitment process despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi making commitment during his rallies in Jammu and Kashmir. Those who decided to return in 2010 under the Prime Minister’s employment package continue to live in slum-like settlements and have been feeling ignored.

“There has been no notable effort to start our permanent rehabilitation. The living condition in transit camps is poor. The Prime Minister’s employment package should be implemented properly and needs to be streamlined,” said SL Pandita, president, Jagti Tenement Committee.