Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 8,: To seek political empowerment and reservation for displaced Kashmiri Pandits, Youth All India Kashmiri Samaj (YAIKS) has appealed all political parties to reserve two Parliament constituencies and four Assembly constituencies for minority Pandits in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Political reservation for our community is only medium to save future of next generation of Kashmiri Pandits and to reconnect them to their lost roots, R K Bhat president YAIKS along with Sunil Koul, Manoj Handoo, Ajay Safaya, Sanjay Ganjoo, Sanjeev Koul, D.N.Bhat, B L Dhar and Avtar Krishan and Dileep told reporters here, today.
They said KPs are living in exile for last three decades. The proposal for delimitation of Assembly constituencies by Union Home Minister has created high hopes among the community as some will also be reserved for them.
YAIKS is pledged to launch sustained struggle for the restoration of lost identity of KPs, they said, adding displaced Pandits will never forego their claim over Kashmir as KPs’ are an inalienable part of Kashmir. In this regard YAIKS has recently nominated 46 coordinators for all Assembly segments of Kashmir and they are working in their respective constituencies vigorously.
They said to collect the data for the updating of voter lists of Kashmir Valley, YAIKS launched online registration portal https://forms.gle/RoZZwQ4fJVwT7o9k8 which will be accessible to all displaced Pandits. The Political parties should categorically mention in their election manifesto that what political space they would allow to KPs if they come to power, they added.
They said KPs are currently living as refugees in their own country due to the Pakistan sponsored terrorism and the failure of successive Governments to rehabilitate them in their homeland. Three decades of exile is a huge time to realize that the exiled community needs special attention and support, they added.
The successive Governments and the political parties have failed in their duty to think beyond relief and temporary rehabilitation of the community, they said. They can play a positive role to bring back Kashmiri Pandits into the mainstream and empowering them politically by taking bold and unconventional decisions. But they have failed completely in this regard, they added.
“We appeal Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure that every displaced Kashmiri Pandits be included in the voter list of the Assembly segments to which they belonged to. These lists should be displayed at all the migrant zonal offices and on the Government websites. YAIKS urged the ECI to abolish the M-Form exercise for migrant voters.
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