Reports of separate habitations being created for Kashmiri Pandits as “misconstrued, misconceived and mischievous”
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Srinagar / Jammu: Following the massive criticism by both separatist and mainstream leadership about a separate township for Kashmiri Pandits, the Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday sought to clear the air saying the Kashmiri Pandits are a part and parcel of the traditional Kashmiri ethos and they would be reintegrated into their native places as a part of the society and not as an isolated community.
Terming the reports of a separate habitations being created for Kashmiri Pandits as “misconstrued, misconceived and mischievous”, a government spokesperson said, the society and the government is committed to facilitate reintegration of migrant Pandits in their homeland with honor and dignity “without compartmentalising them as an isolated community.”
File photo of Kashmiri Pandits protesting in 2010. Photo by Joe Athialy
“As has been already made clear by the Chief Minister, the migrant Pandits are most welcome to return and resettle at the places of their choice, and various initiatives have already been taken by the state government to bring them back with honor and dignity,” the spokesperson said.
“The government is keenly awaiting the return of migrants and they will be resettled at their original places of inhabitation with honor and dignity,” the spokesperson said, and added that the migrants from all the communities who have no land and properties left in Kashmir, can be accommodated in the composite township, if they desire so.
The spokesman said the creation of exclusive enclaves for migrants, as was done at Sheikhpora, Budgam, has not worked as most of the Pandits who wanted to return to the Valley preferred to resettle at their ancestral places.
“Braving the hazards of turmoil in Kashmir, several Kashmiri Pandit families continue to live harmoniously with their Muslim brethren in various parts of the Valley,” he said.
“The Kashmiri Pandits have every right to return to their ancestral land and get reintegrated in the society to revive the age-old tradition of brotherhood and amity,” he said and added that any facility for the purpose would not be either religion or community-specific.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday had asked Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, to provide land in the state for “composite townships” for Kashmiri Pandits.
Reports said that Sayeed agreed to acquire and provide the land for the purpose.
Meanwhile, senior pro-freedom leaders including Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik called for complete state-wide shutdown on Saturday, April 11, against government’s proposal to build a separate township for migrant Kashmiri Pandits in the Kashmir valley. They also called for protest demonstrations after the congregational prayers on Friday.