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| Feel let down by successive Govts, say displaced KPs | | |
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Jan 24: It was 29 years ago, on January 19, 1990, the exodus of Kashmiri Pandit community happened as the Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) were forced to flee the valley leaving behind their homes and homeland to save themselves from persecution at the behest of terrorists, who were ruling the roost in Kashmir then.
Around four to five lakh Kashmiri Pandits were displaced due to militancy in Kashmir valley. The community members had no other option but to resettle somewhere else and start their lives. Though the displaced community settled in every nook and corner of the country but majority of them preferred to choose district Jammu as their new home, however, the exiled community members particularly those putting up in migrant camps had to face lot of hardships as most of the settlements were dilapidated.
The Kashmiri Pandit families living in dilapidated settlements in Jammu had no other choice but to accept whatever little was being provided by the government as deep down their hearts they were aware that to survive hardships had to be faced and they exactly did that, however, the displaced families still feel let down by successive state as well as central governments.
"I still feel unsettled and alienated even after 29 years have passed. The Government of India has failed Kashmiri Pandits as they are still living as refugees in their own country. The state as well as the central government has not taken substantial measures till date either for the return of Kashmiri Pandits back to the valley or providing better living conditions here," said Ravinder Bhat.
Bhat, a government employee, is now facing a new problem. Since the last one month, the amount of rice offered to government employees has been reduced. "We have been receiving 4 kg for the last one month. Earlier, we used to receive 9 kg of rice. Whenever we approached the Relief commissioner, his answer is that the order has come from the Centre. We have no idea about this order. I don't earn much. It's difficult to survive here," said Bhat. The families living at the Jagti and Nagrota settlements receive monthly relief of Rs 2,500 per person and ration, including 9 kg of rice, 2 kg of wheat and 1 kg of sugar.
Most of the Kashmiri Pandits are angry with the current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led regime at the Centre. They said they had voted for BJP with the hope that their voices would heard. But now they feel that the party had used them for their own political propaganda.
Bitta Kaw of Jagti camp summed up the general discontentment of Kashmiri Pandits, saying "What Modi? What Congress? For us, everyone is the same."
During 1989-90, when militancy was at its peak in the valley, a large number of Kashmiri Pandits, along with several Sikhs and Muslim families, fled the valley, fearing a threat to their lives. They left behind their houses and property. As quoted by The Hindu, out of 38,119 Kashmiri Pandits families, 24,202 came to Jammu and other areas. Nearly 200 Kashmiri Pandits were allegedly killed by militants. Currently, 808 families are residing in the valley, amounting to 3,445 people. |
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