By IANS,
New Delhi : Kashmiri pandits, who have been forced out of the Kashmir Valley, gathered at Jantar Mantar here Wednesday, seeking rehabilitation and government’s support.
The protest was organised by Roots In Kashmir (RIK), a community organisation on the occasion of 23rd World Refugee Day.
“We want rehabilitation. Our people should get same status as others. Two decades later, we are still rooted out from our own country,” one of the activists, Sumati Thusoo told IANS
“We are thankful to the government for making reservation in the field of education and technical programmes but in the name of our community, money is being pumped out. There is no accountability,” he added.
“Living conditions have improved in these 23 years, but only for those 60 percent to 70 percent who have been settled. The rest are not getting provisions which they deserve,” claimed Manish Mattoo of RIK.
Many protesters carried placards reading: “We are in exile but don’t ignore our silence.”
“We are not migrants we are refugees. I urge the youth and the people of India to raise their voice for us,” said one of the protester.
The protesters also demanded Punun Kashmir, a separate state for Kashmiri pandits within the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
“There’s total displacement of Kashmiri pandits. We want ‘Punun Kashmir’, a free land in Kashmir,” another protester Lalit Ambardar said.