Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 1: President All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference (ASKPC), Ravinder Raina today accused the Central and State Governments of ignoring and sidelining the displaced Kashmiri Pandits who have entered into 30th year of forced exodus through the hands of pan Islamic Jehadis.
Raina, while presiding over its Executive Body Meeting of ASKPC here, today said that KPs have been scattered throughout the globe as nobody acted as sympathizers of this miniscule minority during these last three decades who have been forced to leave their homes and hearts.
He said the Government at the Centre seems least interested in return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits and no roadmap seems visible in this direction .Several representations were made by ASKPC that Kashmiri Pandits be declared as minority, even Chairman National Minority Commission (NMC) opined that Kashmiri Pandits be given status of minority community.
In February 2014 while tabling an action report on return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandit in Rajya Sabha by 31 member Committee comprising of 10MPs from Rajyas Sabha and 21 MPs from Lok Sabha who were critical of Ministry of Home Affairs for not deliberating on minority status to Kashmiri Pandits, furthermore 14 members Sub-Committee of Parliament panel in February 2014 submitted comprehensively problems of Kashmir Pandit Community who were forced out of their homes as a result of armed insurgency of religious extremism. But no action has been taken by the Central Government and it is strange that J&K Government is upholding J&K Muslim Community as part of National Minority, thus enjoying the rights and privileges of National Minority communities. If the J&K Constitution and Article 370 are to be enforced in letter and spirit then State Government should withdraw all privileges and facilities extended to Muslims as a part of National Minority. Either Governor should issue ordinance to declare Kashmiri Pandits as minority in the State, he added.
Dr. T.K.Bhat, general secretary ASKPC said that Government is so careless towards the welfare of the community as KPS time and again have appealed for declaring Kashmir Pandits as internally displaced people till their return and rehabilitation takes place, but it is not paying any heed towards it.
The others who spoke on the occasion were R.K.Wangnoo, vice – president, Prof Bhan ,Veena Gurtoo, Ravi Raina youth president and B.L.Handoo.
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