Modi govt has no objection to homeland, colonies for Kashmiri Pandits: Singh

The Narendra Modi-led government at the Cente has no objection to setting up of homeland, township or colonies for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley, Union minister Jitendra Singh said today. Addressing a conference of Kashmiri Pandits (KP) here today, he said it is for them to decide what they want. The KPs today demanded implementation of 1991 Margdarshan resolution which allows carving out of a homeland for seven lakh KPs with union territory status in Kashmir.

"Whether colonies would be made or clusters or a homeland, whatever will be made (in Kashmir valley for rehabilitation of KPs), Modi government will have no objection. Union Home Ministry will have no objection. But please tell me what is to be set up," Singh said. Demanding implementation of 1991 Margdarshan resolution, two organisations of displaced KPs - Panun Kashmir and Youth All India Kashmiri Samaj(YAIKS) - also demanded the Modi government to initiate a structured dialogue process with their leadership on a comprehensive political agenda of the community.

"This year, the KP community is entering 28th year of its exile, after having suffered persecution, genocide and ethnic cleansing resulting into their exodus from Kashmir in 1989-90. "In 1991, a Marghdarshan resolution was passed envisaging a free and full flow of Indian constitution in territory (to be carved out) in Kashmir (for KPs) and called for action," they said in their charter of demands.

President of Panun Kashmir Ashwani Chrungoo, YAIKS chief R K Bhat and All India Kashmiri Pandit Conference (AIKPC), in a joint memorandum, handed over a "comprehensive political agenda" to Singh and J&K State JP President Sat Sharma at the seminar here today. Terming KPs as "indigenous people of Kashmir", who are the first stakeholders to the territory, he said that the government is aware of their difficulties and all the issues would be addressed in time-bound manner.

State BJP chief Sat Sharma said that displaced KPs will settle in Kashmir this year or the next year and as per their conditions, "if your want Panun Kashmir and homeland, it will be as per your conditions. And we will raise your voice in the Assembly and Parliament." During the function, senior KP leader and President AIKPC H N Jattu was conferred the 'Pandit Amarnath Vaishnavi Samman' for his lifetime achievement in espousing the cause of KPs.

Apart from him, an eminent scientist who while working in Brussels invented a new drug for treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis Dr Anil Kaul and President of Khalsa Centre London Babu Harbans Singh Mehta who made immense contribution in the social field were felicitated on the occasion.  Addressing the conference, Chrungoo said the time has come to address the core issues of the geopolitical aspirations of Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir with free flow of Indian Constitution and also their economic rehabilitation.

He demanded creation of an additional 1000 jobs in the central departments for the displaced community in addition to the Prime Minister's package. Meanwhile, Bhatt raised the issue of unemployment of youths, claiming that the PM's employment package is 75 per cent incomplete. He demanded that all the 6000 jobs under the sanctioned package be filled forthwith but without the draconian conditions attached with it.

Alleging that the government has failed to implement the employment package, he said, those employees, who have fled Kashmir, should be treated at par with the migrant employees in Jammu. In the memorandum, KPs demanded a separate recruiting agency for the community youths as after the lapse of eight years, only 25 per cent of PM special employment package of 2008 has been implemented.