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| Here is news for Kashmiri Pandits | | | B L KAK
NEW DELHI, AUG. 13
Union Minister for Minority Affairs, AR Antulay, seems to be in a fix, unable to pronounce his final judgement on the question of granting a new status to the much-talked-about Kashmiri Pandits. Antulay's predicament is, according to qualified sources, the outcome of the 'hidden' pressure on him from two Central Ministers and three ruling politicians from Jammu and Kashmir, who do not want him to make the government designate Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) as minorites by law.
In April this year, AR Antulay did disclose that he had prepared broad contours of the plan envisaging anew status for the Kashmiri Pandits from Jammu and Kashmir. Antulay, it was reported, had laboured hard to collect relevant data with a view to egging the Union Council of Ministers on to approve his plan in support of the displaced community of the KPs.
And when the word went out from the Ministry of Minority Affairs that AR Antulay would finalise his plan only after a series of meetings with the representatives of the Jammu and Kashmir Hindus, including Kashmir Pandits, the two Central Ministers and three ruling politicians from J&K were, according to sources, uncomfortable. Each one of them sought to build behind-the-scenes presure on Antulay against his plan. For obvious reasons sources close to Antulay maintained studied silence even after frantic efforts by some individuals to know why the matter had been placed under the rug.
The two Central Ministers and three ruling politicians from J&K did not want what was termed as "more-than-necessary" concessions to the Kashmiri Pandits. Significantly, Antulay, who had earlier let it be known that his discussions would also involve the participation of representatives from the Jammu and Kashmir government and Union Ministry of Home Affairs, was found focusing his attention on other issues, after the reported 'success' by the two Union Minister and three mainstream leaders from J&K in delaying action on the plan envisaging grant of minority status to the KPs.
The Minister for Minority Affairs had sent out highly signifcant signals about the shape of events to come not only in Jammu and Kashmir but also in some other States as well. In plain language, Antulay was keen on notifying Hindus in Punjab and Northeast region as minorites. Obviously, Antulay's message in support of Hindus in J&K, Punjab, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Union territory of Lakhshadweep became an open secret after his quiet meetings with three VIPs, Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister, Shivraj Patil, Home Mininister, and Sonia Gandhi, Congress president and chairperson of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
Antulay, sources close to him told EARLY TIMES, had not abandoned his scheme of things. He has only found it necessary to go slow. Already, he has had a quiet session with a group of Kashmiri Pandits recently. Antulay is aware of the fact that the National Conference government headed by Farooq Abdullah had, during the NDA rule at the Centre, turned down the move in support of notifying J&K Hindus as minorites. The National Conference had argued that designation of Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) as a minority would trigger tension and unrest.
Antulay has a different standpoint altogether on the matter. His standpoint: Kashmiri Hindus are already in a minority. Similarly, Hindus in Punjab and Northeast region are also in a minority. All the more reason for a suitable law to notify them as minorites.
During the tenure of the Vajpayee Government, Tahir Mehmood, former chairman of the Minorites Commission, had, in his report to the Union Home Ministry, made a pointed reference to the Hindus being in a minority in certain States of India and recommended that the fact should be accepted by the government. The 100-page report was examined by LK Advani in his capacity as Home Minister. Advani, who had agreed to take the report to Parliament, failed to acomplish his target in view of the fall of the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre.
The Hindus in the border States, after their designation as minorites by law, will have the benefits of the Prime Minister's 15-point programme, provisions for educational institutions and the right to represent their grievances and problems before the Minorities Commission.
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