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| Non-migrant Kashmiri Pandit families demand extra accommodation at Sheikhpora | | Clash with families of youth appointed under PM's package | | Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, Dec 3: At a time when both Central and State governments are claiming that situation is ripe for the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the valley, the community members who stayed put and faced vagaries of militancy and post-militancy periods are demanding better facilities alleging apathy from the state government.
More than one dozen Kashmiri Pandit families living in the Sheikhpora colony have demanded more accommodation since their children have grown up and have since been married. These families along with the 19 other families are staying at this colony after being shifted from Beerwah school in the Central Kashmir's Budgam district.
A group of residents told Early Times that over the past two decades or so their children have grown up and as such they are in dire need of more accommodation. They said that repeated requests with the state government in this respect have not been acceded to thus creating problems for them.
"The government officials have limited their exercise to paying visit to the colony and doing nothing for us. Such apathy would give out disturbing signals more so when voices are getting louder that all Kashmiri Pandits should return to their homeland. Government needs to inculcate confidence among the community members and so far they have not done so," said the residents.
It would be in place to mention here that in 2002 the state government shifted 31 families of Kashmiri Pandits to Sheikhpora colony after they were rendered homeless. The houses of these 31 families spread across the Budgam district were burnt during the militancy. Following this these families were shifted to Government High School, Beerwah with protection.
"We never moved out of the Kashmir valley despite the fact that militancy had spread its tentacles across the valley. Despite being rendered homeless we never lost hope and pulled through. The only relief that we got from state government was that they constructed flats for us but time has moved on and we need more from government," said the residents.
Deputy Commissioner, Budgam, Khurshid Ahmad Shah visited the Sheikhpora camp on Monday and interacted with the residents of colony. The Deputy Commissioner assured the residents that their genuine demands would be looked and the district administration would do its every bit for solving the problems being faced by colony residents.
Sources told Early Times that during the visit of Deputy Commissioner, Budgam an ugly situation took place when the families of Kashmiri Pandit youth appointed under Prime Minister's employment package clashed with the families who are living there for the past 11 years. The differences between the two groups resulted into a situation where the genuine demands were kept in abeyance.
"While the Kashmiri Pandits living at the colony since 2002 raised their demands for extra accommodation those appointed under PM's package confronted them saying that they too are in need of the same. As a result none of the groups could forcefully present their demand with the district administration enjoying advantageous position," said sources.
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