NHRC Special Monitor visits Jagti Township

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 22: The Special Monitor National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Rakesh Asthana visited the Jagti township Nagrota today. He was accompanied by the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner, Migrants, Dr Arvind Karwani and other officers.
Migrants and leaders of their various organizations informed him that Kashmiri Pandits have faced human rights violation for last 34 years when they were forced to flee ferom their homes and hearths in Kashmir and lead an exiled life outside Valley.
They were informed that migrants were facing many hardships but the Government was not taking serious and effective steps in solving them. The camp representatives informed the visiting Human Rights Commission Special Monitor that how long they have to lead this exiled life.
The State and Central Governments should answer that how long the Kashmir Pandits will have to suffer. They demanded that NHRC should use its good offices in imploring upon the Government to take concrete and pragmatic steps for return and rehabilitation of migrants in Valley and in this regard the community leadership be taken into confidence.
They also alleged that the failure of Government in increasing the cash assistance has made the lives of people depending on Government relief are facing hardships as they can’t make their both hands meet with meager cash assistance of Rs 13,000 per family per month and despite the repeated pleas by the community the Government has not taken steps for hiking cash assistance.
They also showed grave concern over rising unemployment in the community and raw deal given by Government to overaged youth who are in great desperation. This lot of youth had to bear the brunt of the turmoil as they could neither get a Government job nor had resources to set up their own business.
The successive Governments totally ignored this lot and they were not even considered for the self employment schemes as they had nothing to be mortgaged for getting the loan.