*Independent, BJP MLAs trade charges
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 8: Noisy scenes were witnessed in the Legislative Assembly today over Union Government’s proposal to construct composite townships for the Kashmiri Pandits in Valley with Opposition MLAs demanding PDP-BJP Coalition Government to come clean on the plan and take entire House in the confidence. Even main Opposition party—National Conference opposed the proposal and dubbed it a part of nefarious plan of the present Coalition Government in the State.
Independent legislator from Langate, Engineer Abdul Rashid raised the issue during Zero Hour and stated that settling Kashmiri Pandits in separate townships will not be allowed to happen as it is detrimental to the interest of every community living in Kashmir.
“The fact of the matter is that majority of KPs are not interested in settling back in Kashmir as they are happy in enjoying perks, packages and privileges”, he said, adding “it is unfortunate that PDP led by Mufti Sayeed is acting as a facilitator in the plan of BJP brigade to communalize and polarize situation in Jammu and Kashmir”.
He asked Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to clear his stand and ask New Delhi to take measures to heal the wound of Kashmiris, who have suffered all these years. “The perception that Kashmiri Pandits are not safe in their native places is totally wrong. The fact of the matter is that Kashmiri Pandits don’t want to lose packages”, he added.
Engineer Rashid was interrupted by the BJP Legislators—Ravinder Raina, Gagan Bhagat and R S Pathania, who remarked: “Kashmir valley is not the personal property of any individual and Kashmiri Pandits can be settled anywhere in the Valley”. Ravinder Raina said, “on one side you are stating that Kashmiri Pandits are your brothers and on the other side you are opposing to their rehabilitation proposal. The opposition to composite township proposal exposes your real face”.
Verbal spat between Engineer Abdul Rashid and BJP Legislators continued for some time and thereafter CPM MLA, Mohd Yousuf Tarigami intervened and asked the Government to take the State Assembly into confidence and explain the plan regarding the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants in Kashmir valley.
“The dignified return and complete rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants is the prime concern of all of us, but the Government must spell out what and how it plans to do the needful. Since the newspaper reports are vague, misconceptions and rumours can generate and encourage the divisive elements”, he said.
Tarigami further said that Kashmiris have already suffered a lot and every move should help in healing the old wounds and should not inflict new ones. He cautioned that while taking any decision for their rehabilitation, there should be no room for any apprehension of creating any further divisions in society.
Meanwhile, National Conference, while opposing the plan of the PDP-BJP Government to allocate land for composite townships for the return of Kashmiri Pandits, said that this move would be detrimental to the idea of reconciliation between the two communities and was in fact part of a greater nefarious plan by PDP and BJP.
NC general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar, while interacting with media-persons outside Legislative Assembly, said, “the plan to settle Kashmiri Pandits in separate and isolated clusters is aimed to isolate and distance the two communities from each other”, adding “these tactics will have an adverse effect on Jammu and Kashmir”. He further said that this would not be the first time when PDP has compromised on the basic tenets of ‘Kashmiriyat’ for the petty trappings of power.
“Kashmiri Pandits were integral part of the social fabric of J&K and National Conference had worked harder for their return than any other political group. We want to welcome every single Kashmiri Pandit back to the Valley with utmost dignity and warmth and we want to welcome them back into the society – to their homes and hearths. However, this whole idea of composite townships is aimed to engineer a long-lasting divide between Kashmiri Muslims and Pandits”, Sagar said.
Lashing out at PDP for changing its colors with the changing wind, the NC general secretary said that PDP also opposed to idea of separate composite townships for Kashmiri Pandits while it was out of power. “However it seems PDP – while selling its soul to BJP for making Mufti Sayeed the Chief Minister has sold every single stand it had taken earlier. Now it seems that these bargains have been struck with the BJP to ensure a Cabinet berth for Mehbooba Mufti and God knows how many more sell-outs PDP will script for its evidently insatiable desire for political power at any cost”, he added.
Highlighting the policies implemented by successive National Conference Governments for the dignified return of Kashmiri Pandits to their homes, the NC general secretary said it was none other than National Conference that worked towards creating jobs for Kashmiri Pandits and ensuring there is an enhancement of compensation provided to Kashmiri Pandits for the construction of their homes.
“PDP and BJP are trying to bring back Kashmiri Pandits into isolated ghettos and barricaded compounds that isolate Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmiri Muslims. This policy of religious segregation is unacceptable to the people of Jammu and Kashmir irrespective of their faith, caste or creed”, Sagar further said.
Meanwhile, State Government made it clear that the Kashmiri Pandits are a part and parcel of the traditional Kashmiri ethos and they would be reintegrated into their native place as a part of the society and not as an isolated community.
Discounting as misconstrued, misconceived and mischievous the impression being created by certain quarters regarding establishment of exclusive habitations for Kashmiri Pandits, an official spokesman said the society and the Government is committed to facilitate reintegration of migrant Pandits in their homeland with honor and dignity without compartmentalizing them as an isolated community.
“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 spokesman said, adding “the Government is keenly awaiting the return of migrants and they will be resettled at their original places of inhabitation with honor and dignity”.
He said that 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.
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