Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 24: Jammu Kashmir National United Front (JKNUF), today alleged that religious persecution and manipulation for centuries together has reduced the population of Kashmiri Pandits from 100 percent in the Valley to miniscule minority at present.
Talking to reporters here, the president of the JKNUF, A K Dewani and its other members Vijay Kaul (Cheken) J L Bamzie, Gukal Dembie, A K Machana said that this persecution continued after the independence of the country also.
Dewani said the community which was 15 percent in 1980 was made to collapse to 0.00 1 percent in 1990s and the political constituencies of Pandits have been modified to reduce their electoral strength.
He said the electoral rolls were drawn incorrectly and casting of votes for them was made complicated process. Most of the KPs are not able to avail their right to franchise due to all these impediments, he added.
While the community’s assumed microscopic strength is misused on all fronts, its presence has been artificially magnified by its wrong grouping in population census resulting in denying its even minority rights, he said.
Dewani said that the fact however remains; that impact of the community’s presence within and outside the country is so powerful that it’s being minuscule is difficult to believe. Earlier the community leadership has tried its best to correct the position but all attempts have failed as popular Governments wanted to ignore rectification of errors skillfully created by them for time to time.
He said to put the things straight about the population of the community spread all over the globe due to forced exodus from Valley through the hands of terrorists and fanatics, a group of technocrats headed by Kamal Warikoo are taking count of the KPs on their own using one time digital platform designed and developed by Balbeer Singh and team under the guidance of A K Dewani which apart from confirming its numerical strength can also be used for various mutual benefits.
This platform has been named Kaw Taw meaning outcry to be concerned for fellow beings, creating unity in thought and action and respect for the traditions of the KP community.
Warikoo explained that Kaw Taw a “Digital One Time Space” will be purposeful for every member of the community, helping in healthy networking of all its age groups including NRIs as on date as also in future. Operation of this platform www.kawtaw.com is simple being user friendly. He said information required to be fed is simple and without any complications or scope for misuse. The platform is managed by 20 zonal administrators within and outside the country, he added.
He appealed the KPs to come forward and cooperate in building the much needed data.