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| Centre may go ahead with separate townships for KPs | | Tables subtly turning around in Kashmir | | Early Times Report
Jammu, July 1: The central government is all set to initiate a massive rehabilitation programme for the Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) with high possibilities of establishing separate townships for the aggrieved community.
Speaking in Rajya Sabha on Monday, Union Home Minister and BJP president Amit Shah gave a clear indication that in order to keep Kashmiriat alive and intact, it is imperative for the government to rehabilitate the KPs in the Kashmir Valley.
There are also speculations that the government is mulling to establish separate townships for them, a measure that was widely ridiculed in the past by the separatists. However, as the anti-national elements in Kashmir Valley have been to a large extent silenced in Kashmir valley, chances are high that the much-awaited project may see the day's light.
In 2016, the separatists and the National Conference already have opposed to the idea of the return of the KPs in colonies. On May 27, 2016, Kashmir witnessed a shutdown after the separatist leaders including Syed Ali Geelani, Yasin Malik and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq issued a unanimous strike call against the making of the Pandit colonies in Kashmir.
Furthermore, speaking in the state Legislative Assembly, the then chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said, "We will bring back Kashmiri Pandits with respect, we will live together here."
She also stated that colonies to be built for retired military personnel or ex-servicemen will only be for state subjects and not for retirees from outside the state.
"Sainik colonies are not for outsiders but for state subjects only, this proposal has been in the process from the last government's tenure," the chief minister informed the Assembly. "In our government tenure, the Governor ordered to identify land for Sainik colonies but so far no land has been identified," she added.
The KPs had appealed to the central government headed to decisively intervene into the matter of their return and rehabilitation in separate townships in Kashmir in order to restore the confidence of the KPs who had welcomed the important steps taken regarding return by them till now.
The KP leaders then also criticised the Hurriyat Conference, JKLF and all the other mainstream political parties who have been objecting to the establishment of concentrated settlements for the KPs.
Geelani had back then demanded the return of all the people who have migrated from Kashmir Valley since 1947, something he hasn't said till now. Geelani said that resolution passed by administration on Thursday is incomplete until and unless 15 Lakh Kashmiris who were forced to migrate from the Valley in 1947, 1965 and 1971, are called back to Kashmir.
Now after three long years, there are chances that the colonies would get established and a ray of hope will be accorded to the displaced Pandit community. |
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