Pandits Warn Agitation

Kashmiri Pandits warn agitation against further delay in passage of Shrines Bill

Peeved over Government’s delaying tactics on passage of Kashmiri Hindu Shrines and Temples Bill, Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) today warned to launch a forceful agitation for fulfillment of the demand.

The decision was taken in a meeting of representatives of various KP organizations here. The meeting was organized by Pt. Prem Nath Bhat Memorial Trust, which has launched the movement in this regard for last one year.

The meeting was presided over by Roshan Lal Raina, ex director Horticulture and Yash Bhasin Founder Trustee Pt Prem Nath Bhat Memorial Trust, was special invitee on the occasion.

The speakers, while expressing their dismay over the Government’s negative attitude towards the demand said that the promises made from time to time during last over one decade by successive Governments have proved totally hollow. This has generated a lot of resentment among the community, they added.

They said the passage of Shrines Bill could prove a major Confidence Building Measure (CBM) among the community, which has been hounded out from Valley over 22 years back. But the Government’s stoic silence over the issue indicates that those at the helm of affairs are not interested in protecting the ancient cultural heritage of the Valley which dates back over to 5000 year old rich culture and civilization, they added.

To protest against the Government’s callousness the meeting in one voice decided to hold a protest on March 11, which will be followed by series of agitational programmes by the community.

The representatives of AIKS, JKVM, Panun Kashmir, ASKPC, K P Sabha, KHC, Prabandhak Committee Anantnag, SSK, Prabandhak Committee Kheer Bhawani Manzgam, Migrant Cell NC, BJP Migrant Cell, Geeta Satsang Ashram, KPC and JKNM participated in the meeting.

The meeting said sentiments of Pandits all over the globe are attached with their religious shrines in Valley and any delay in the passage of the Bill will send a wrong signal among the community.

KP global meet for one satellite township for Pandits in Valley

As Government has failed to come out with a return module on Kashmiri Pandits to Valley, leaders of various organizations at KP global meet here today declared that they have prepared one such module of their own for the return and rehabilitation of the displaced Pandit community in Valley.

The Government till date has failed to take an initiative on its own and prepare a road map regarding the honorable and dignified return of the community to Valley and the KP organizations during their one day global meet held under the aegis of All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS) have framed one such module on their own, Moti Kaul president, AIKS told reporters after the conclusion of the meet.

He said a resolution on seven points was also passed with voice vote during the meet.

Mr Kaul who was flanked by K N Pandita convener JKNM, K K Khosa, senior vice president KP Sabha, B L Sadhu, chairman KMECT, Gautam Kaul senior vice president AIKS, A K Dewani, president JKNUF, R K Raina, senior vice president, ASKPC, H N Jatoo, president AIKPC and others said the global meet resolved that the only justifiable option for the return of displaced Pandits is a satellite city in Kashmir Valley. The city should be self sufficient in terms of overall infrastructure, economic avenues, adequate land, decent accommodation, educational institutions, medical care, recreation centers and commercial infrastructures etc.

Giving further details, he said the KP organizations during the meet demanded immediate Constitution of Commission of Inquiry headed by a sitting judge of Supreme Court of India to probe circumstances and fix responsibility of ethnic cleansing of the entire religious minority community of Pandits from Valley in 1989-90.

Mr Kaul said that members were unanimous on political empowerment of the community and demanded adequate reservations both in the Assembly, the Parliament and local bodies, grant of minority status to the community to preserve the ethno-religious identity of this minuscule minority, economic retrieval of the Pandits who are still putting up in Valley and passage of Shrines and Temples Bill to preserve the age old heritage of the community.

He said, K P global meet was attended by the elected representatives of Pandit bodies all over India including those from Kashmir Valley and Jammu. Besides there was representation of the community from abroad, he added.

Others who were present in the meeting include Ravinder Bhan from Middle East, Ajay Bharti president JKVM, NCR, P N Goja, of Anantnag Prabandhak Committee, Sham Kaul senior journalist, Bushan Lal Bhat president Vichar Manch J&K , Veer Ji Saraf, convener RIK, Prof G K Muju, convener JK Minorities Writers Forum and delegates drawn from other parts of the country.

KPs protest Indo Pak dialogue

A protest demonstration was staged by Joint Forum of Kashmiri Pandit organizations in front of Press Club here today to protest against the recently held Indo Pak dialogue. The demonstration was led by senior KP leader and president, All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference, (ASKPC) A N Vaishnavi.

The protestors displaying pla-cards and banners raised slogans denouncing the Indo-Pak talks as sham. They said that these talks would prove counter productive and would only encourage Pakistan and secessionist elements in the State.

The Joint Forum leaders who addressed the demonstration included Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo of PK, Rakesh Kaul of Kashmir Samiti Delhi (KSD), H L Chatta, general secretary, ASKPC, R K Raina, senior vice president, ASKPC, D N Kissu, chairman Non Camp and Virender Raina its spokesperson and women leaders Mohni Koul and Phoola Kaul.

They lambasted the Union Government and said that the manner in which the secessionist elements were facilitated to meet the Pakistan Foreign Minister is shameful. This smacks of a deep rooted conspiracy to undermine the position of the Indian nation and harm its vital national interests. The complicity of Pakistan in arranging meeting with these elements who are bent upon to break India has been established and as such the Government of India should have taken strong and appropriate measures, they added.

Instead it seems that the meeting was facilitated by the Government and was held in full glare of the media.

They said it has shaken the nation and created doubts regarding the sincerity and credibility of the Government in context of Kashmir issue. The manner and conduct of the Government gives rise to fears and suspicions that there may be a sell out being worked out at the cost of the nationalist forces in the State.

They said that time and again, the nationalist forces in the country including the Kashmiri Pandits have made it clear that there is no constituency in the country for negotiating or experimenting over the territory and sovereignty of India in J&K. The KPs have asked the Government of India to initiate a comprehensive dialogue process with the representatives of the community that would ultimately lead to the establishment of a separate homeland for seven lakh KPs in Valley, the added.

KP of Jagati want elections

Various KP organizations of Jagati for elections in township 

Various organizations of Kashmiri Pandits at Jagati tenements today urged the Government to solve the problems of the displaced people which included enhancement of cash relief and overall development of the township and mitigating the sufferings of the inmates there.

The meeting also demanded that immediate attention be paid towards the problems of overaged youth and providing of immediate accommodation to left over families. The meeting in an appeal to the Government urged it hold elections so that a democratically elected body for the township could come into existence which could project the problems of the community before the Government in a democratic way and the role of self styled leaders could end once for all.

The meeting appealed the Chief Minister to frame a Town Area Committee for over all development of the township. The meeting was chaired by Moti Lal Dhar and attended by Ravi Pandita, Chuni Lal Bhat Kuldeep Chopra and others.

In another meeting of Displaced Coordination Committee which was chaired by B L Raina, who while expressing satisfaction over the steps taken by the Government and Relief organization in implementation of PMs employment package demanded that remaining posts should also be filled up soon. It also demanded that an overall Committee be constituted for the township in a democratic way.

Displaced Welfare Committee Muthi in its meeting held under the chairmanship of Ravinder Raina while discussing the problems of the displaced people after shifting of the camp to Jagati stressed on formation of a coordination of all camps to project the problems in a democratic way.