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| Govt committed to dignified return of Kashmiri Pandits to J&K | | Pak cannot dictate its agenda: Jitendra Singh | | ET Report
JAMMU, May 1: Rejecting Pakistan's stand that creation of "dedicated" townships in Kashmir Valley for displaced Kashmiri Pandits would change the demographic makeup of the state, Union Minister Jitendra Singh today said Narendra Modi led-government would not let anybody dictate its agenda.
"No, I think India is capable enough to decide on his own terms and agenda. As far as India is concern about how to go on these issues-- whether it is the issue of terrorism or issue of displaced people returning to their homes, I do not think the government would let anybody dictate its agenda", Singh told reporters here today.
He was replying to a volley of questions about the Pakistan's statement opposing "dedicated" townships in the Valley for displaced Kashmiri Pandits.
On the issue of whether Government of India would lodge a protest against Pakistan over interference in its internal matter, he said, "There are mechanism in place for that. We have Ministry of External Affairs and Home and they take an appropriate positioning each time".
On the issue whether the government will still go ahead with the twin city concept for rehabilitation of KPs in Valley following opposition from Pak and separatists, Singh said, "I will not like to engage in this discussion because the Home Ministry is taking the cognizance of all the options and to the best of its wisdom, it will decide."
On the issue of UN resolution & change of demographic concern, the Union Minister said, "As far as we in India are concerned, we go more by the resolution of 1994, which is passed in the Parliament unanimously by all the political parties which upheld that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inseparable part of India and there is no issue left to be resolved."
"As far as J&K is concern, if at all there is an issue left to be resolved or unresolved that is the issue of how to retrieve back the part of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir which continues to remain under the illegal occupation of Pakistan which is otherwise as Pak Occupied Jammu & Kashmir", he said.
Hitting out at separatists and other political leaders in Kashmir for opposing the composite townships in the Valley, Singh, who belongs to Jammu, said "God forbid if tomorrow, I also start laying down conditions how they (separatists and leaders) should live (in Jammu), What will be the consequences that the statesmen of the country and the political parties have to take a view of it".
"Those people, those organisations and those parties (in Kashmir), who are opposing your (KPs) return to your places in Kashmir. Ask them this question, if KPs will start opposing or raising question on you what will happen," he added.
"If you are not snatching the right of other people where they are going to live outside Kashmir, therefore no body has right to oppose where do you want to construct your houses and settle in Kashmir," he said.
On the issue of Pakistan's allegations that India is engineering demographic change in Kashmir, Dr Singh said, "I think that this argument does not hold any logic or any merit for the simple reason."
"On the other hand such a question could be raised in context of those separatists who go and settle across the country and try to disturb both the demography and critical mileau there," he added.
Dr Singh said, "The government is time and again retaliated that it is committed to the safe return of KPs and I must feel it is part of their birth right and part of the constitutional right."
"The return has to take place of course with dignity and with security," he added.
The Union Home Minister Jitendra Singh said that "demographic change" would only take place if somebody else comes and settle there but Kashmir is KPs' birth place.
"There is no logic in it only because that it is KPs' birth place. Anybody who wants to return back to its birth place has a right on it and nobody can stop him. It is not only his birth right but also constitutional right," he said.
"Demographic change would only take place if somebody else comes and settle there. Those who are opposing it, whichever religion they belong to, if they settled in some other parts of the country, same questions can be raised against them," he said.
"If tomorrow you (KPs) also start questioning where should a separatist or mainstream politician live or settle with which right he can purchase a house in Noida or in Malvianagar," he stressed.
He said, "I think after long many years in the last 11 months or so after new government comes into existence, people of the country particularly living along the border line have began to realise more than ever that we are safe and secure in the present dispensation."
Asking KPs to assert themselves and fight for the cause, Dr Singh said, "We have to change the course of the journey of Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) now. The martyrs like Sarvanand Premi are our heritage. Time has come when KPs to assert themselves. It should not be through violence but through arguments."
He said that there should be no controversy over the return of KPs to the Valley as they have" birth and constitutional right over it."
"Their right does not end just because they are away from homes from last 25 years," he said.
He said that Kashmiri Pandits are not only representing the "exodus from Kashmir Valley", but the forces of nationalism wherever they have gone and settled.
Hinting out those opposing KPs return to the Valley, he said, "It would have been best that those people come and taken KPs to Valley and settle them there with dignity and security and government would have only mean a facilitator." |
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