EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, May 17: Expressing his concern and dismay, Advocate Ravinder Raina President ASKPC stated that nothing has changed for displaced Kashmiri Pandit community, even after the abrogation of Articles 370 & 35A from J&K and even making J&K a Union Territory.
In a teleconference with ASKPC executive members today, President ASKPC reminded the community that present Government at the Centre as well as in the Union Territory continue to be silent over the issues and problems faced by the displaced community. The heightened fear of a demographic change, in the wake of reportedly Pakistani nationals owning land & establishing majority community settlements in Jammu, may result in a second exodus which shall be catastrophic for the community.
Govt of India has totally failed Kashmiri Pandits, who are aborigines of Kashmir valley and are still living as refugees in their own country and with a sleight of hand a large section of displaced Pandits have rather been debarred to be the hereditary residents of Kashmir valley by issuing the recent domicile notification, thereby, squeezing the population of 6,85378 lakh, as per census prior to 1980s , to only 39000 families (about 1.6 lakhs) who would now be recognised as domiciles of Kashmir. While questioning the Central Government, especially ministry of Home affairs regarding passing of the defective domicile law recently, Advocate Raina said that the exiled Kashmiri Pandit community is worst affected by the said law, as it is known to everybody that Kashmiri Pandits had started leaving Kashmir valley right from 1931, when majority community forcefully ousted them out by inflicting miseries by way of torture, killings and arson. This continued on to 1947, 1971, 1986 and the final assault on the community was carried out in 1990. The whole community got scattered throughout globe but sadly the ministry of Home Affairs has recommended only those hereditary State Subjects who got displaced in 1990 for domicile status and are registered with Relief Commissioner Jammu. This is totally unacceptable and needs immediate rectification after taking elected representatives of the community in to confidence. ASKPC demands the domicile status to all Kashmiri Pandits, irrespective of migration prior to 1990 or post 1990 and reiterates their heredity right on the mother land of Kashmir.
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