Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 13: Kashmiri Pandit Conference (KPC) today said that before giving call to displaced Kashmiri Pandits to return to their homes the National Conference (NC) president, Dr Farooq Abdullah should clarify the apprehensions of the community leading an exiled life for last 35years.
In response to Dr. Abdullah’s appeal to displaced Pandits to return to Kashmir, Kundan Kashmiri, president of KPC, demanded first the unresolved issues that prevent the community from considering such a return be addressed.
While Dr. Abdullah’s call may appear conciliatory, it fails to acknowledge the harsh realities faced by this victimized community, Kashmiri said in a hard hitting statement.
He pointed out that the mass exodus of KPs took place during Dr. Abdullah’s tenure as Chief Minister in the late 1980s, when the community faced targeted violence and brutal killings. “At that time, when protection was needed most, you left for London, abandoning the community to its fate. Even after 35 years, no judicial or CBI inquiry has been conducted into the ethnic cleansing and forced exodus of Kashmiri Pandits,” said Kashmiri.
He raised questions about accountability and justice for the atrocities faced by the community, including the horrors of the Wandhama, Sangrampora, Nadimarg and Chatisingpora massacres for which no inquiry or justice has been delivered. “Can, Dr. Abdullah, guarantee that such atrocities will not happen again, and that those responsible for past crimes will finally be brought to justice?” Kashmiri asked, demanding a written guarantee for the safety and security of every Kashmiri Pandit who might consider return.
He also highlighted the erasure of the community’s religious and cultural heritage under successive Governments, including the renaming of significant Hindu sites. “How can KPs trust a Government that has systematically erased their history and identity? Will you restore our lands, homes, and cultural heritage, or are these promises only political rhetoric?”
Kashmiri accused NC of not giving political representation to community. “Despite your party’s claim of inclusiveness, not a single mandate was given to a Kashmiri Pandit to contest elections in the Valley. This speaks volumes that how you and your party is concerned to our cause.”
Kashmiri reiterated that the displaced Pandits will only consider returning if they are allowed to live together in one designated area (one place ) within the Valley, with full Constitutional guarantees, adequate security, and modern infrastructure after solving our genocidal issues.
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