Govt has totally ignored Pandits: AIKPSCF

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Jan 21: All India Kashmiri Pandit Senior Citizens Forum (AIKPSCF) which was launched here today alleged that by not giving representation to displaced Pandits in Council of Ministers the Coalition Government has shown that it is not totally bothered for the minority Pandits leading an exiled life for over last 23 years now.
Talking to reporters the president of the new organization, K K Raina, its advisor cum spokesman Pran Pandita and general secretary Pushkar Pandita said that there is a lot of resentment among the KPs for not considering any member from the community for berth in Council of Ministers as had been a precedence since 1947 after the Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah formed the first popular Government in the state after independence.
This precedence continued during the regime of Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed to Mufti Mohammed Syed and the Omar Abdullah led political dispensation is first Government in the state which ignored the community, they added.
“We have strong apprehensions over the Government policies towards Pandits, K K Raina, said, adding the community was totally betrayed by the Government and promises made by NC president, Dr Farooq Abdullah in this regard at a number of times have not been kept”.
He said that Pandits will not tolerate more injustice now and being the State subjects they have every right to be part of the ministry as Pandit stalwarts have worked shoulder to shoulder with other leaders of the State in freedom movement and now it shows that Government is itself interested in alienating them.
Pran Pandita said the new organization will be a bridge between the all socio political organisations of the community and work for bringing them at a single platform to launch a united struggle for the community rights.
D N Bhat, B L Bhat, Ved Lal Pandita, Satish Pajnoo and Makhan Lal Bhat were among others present in the press conference.