Sir,
The recent proposal of the central govt. to establish townships for kashmiri Pandits has raised a hullabaloo in Kashmir. It is one thing to create ruckus, quite another to hold discussions over the desirability or otherwise of this sensitive issue involving lakhs of kashmiri Pandits, the aborigines of the valley.
As per the view point of the separatists, the township settlements will spell disaster and bloodshed of the Pandits and the people of the valley. Ostensibly, this argument does not cut much ice, mainly for the reason that the kashmiri Pandit community, loves peace, and violence, blood-spilling, hatred do not form a part of their time-honoured culture. If at all bloodsheds do take place, they will be a one sided affair. To drag in Israeli type settlements as a supportive evidence, is to stretch imagination too far. “Comparisons are odious”. All this may sound rigmarolish. But then, the separatists and the leaders of other political parties, may be relatively, thinking on the right lines; as they have long and varied experience of politico-social matters, and keep their fingers on the pulse of the people always.
The advice of these well wishers of the Pandits to return and live on the pre-exodous pattern, is equally fraught with danger. Who will guarantee their physical security and a reasonably comfortable way of life in the scattered areas? Who will guarantee their securing back the properties such as lands, houses, and orchards etc. which stand encroached upon for decades? But then again, the separatists who advocate living together of Pandits with dear Muslim brethren may have plans of making things fine for their Hindu friends.
Be that as it may, the possibility of townships for Pandits, seems dim, for one reason or the other. But they appear to be determined to return to the land of the “ashes of their fathers and the temples of their gods”.
Yours etc…
Prof M L Raina
Jammu
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