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| Kashmiri Pandits divided over Govt. plan of settling migrants in Jagti satellite township | | |
Jammu,July 28
Kashmiri displaced people continue to be divided over the plan of the Government to shift camp dwellers to the Jagti satellite township near Nagrota for which the Prime Minister,Dr Manmohan Singh,laid the foundation stone on July 15.
While chief of one faction of Panun Kashmir,Dr Agnishekhar,has opposed the plan on the plea that the Government wanted to settle the Kashmiri migrants in the satellite township and not serious about taking them back to Kashmir,the chairman of the rival faction of Panun Kashmir,Dr Ajay Chrungoo, today said that upgradation of camps should not be linked with the return of Pandits to the valley.
Dr Chrungoo said that “we stand by our demand for a homeland for the displaced people within the valley but at the same time we feel there was urgent need for upgrading the camps.” He explained that the displaced people live in pigeon holes in Muthi,Purkhoo,Mishriwalla and Nagrota where the basic amenities are missing.” He said “we support the Government plan of building a satellite township for the displaced people where they could have added facilities like the parks,recreation centres,school and hospital.We have told Chief Minister,Ghulam Nabi Azad that if the new township was pure upgradation of the rooms and the environment we support it.”
However,several other migrant leaders have opposed it on the ground that it would be another displacement.Ravinder Raina,President of Purkhoo camp(one group) said that “shifting us to Jagti would be another migration.”He said “our children are studying in schools and colleges in Jammu.we are nearer to the city and some of us have set up small shops.Hence it will be inconvenient for us shift to Jagti.”
The leaders of the coordination committee of migrant camps,(Muthi,Purkhu,Mishriwala& Nagrota) including Roshan Lal Raina,Vir Ji,Bal Ji Yogi,Shadi Lal Pandita and Krishan Lal, supported the Government plan of building a satellite township for migrants at Jagti.They said “non-camp dwellers and those living in various states of India do not understand the miserable plight we are in at Purkhoo,Mishriwalla,Muthi and Nagrota camps.We live in one-room tenement and our living will be better if we are shifted to the new township.”
These leaders claimed that 90 per cent migrants living in 15-year old one-room tenements were willing to shift to the new township and “we do not see any reason for our community brethren,who live in posh colonies and well built houses in several towns and states in the country to oppose the Government plan.”
None other than the Chief Minister has clarified the Government stand on the issue saying that shifting of migrants to the satellite township was a temporary arrangement and the permanent was to motivate them to return to Kashmir for which the Government was committed to create a conducive atmosphere.
Dr Ajay Chrungoo said “till our return to Kashmir we need a suitable living conditions.My community people are dejected over their prolonged living in ghettos.”
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