13 Kashmiri Pandit families apply for getting registered as ‘migrants’ in Jammu

According to a 2020 parliamentary panel report, there are 64,827 registered migrant families in Jammu & Kashmir - 60,489 Hindu families, 2,609 Muslim families and 1,729 Sikh families

At least 13 Kashmiri Pandit (Hindu) families, who have migrated from twin villages of south Kashmir’s Shopian district after recent targeted killings, have submitted their application before concerned authorities in Jammu to get themselves registered as “migrants”.

The fear-stricken families moved a joint application in the office of Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (Migrants), Jammu days after they locked up their homes in the Chowdhary Gund village of Shopian after the killing of Puran Krishan Bhat outside his home on October 15.

For over three decades after the exodus began in the Valley in 1989, an estimated 808 Pandit families didn’t migrate from Kashmir. 13 Pandit families from Chowdhary Gund were among those who decided to stay back in 1990.

According to a 2020 parliamentary panel report, there are 64,827 registered migrant families in J&K - 60,489 Hindu families, 2,609 Muslim families and 1,729 Sikh families. They are being paid Rs 10,000 cash assistance per month and other perks by the government.

But much to the dismay of Chowdhary Gund families, the authorities have reportedly not registered them as ‘migrants’ and they have not been provided any assistance by the government so far.

The families who belonged to the apple-rich Shopian district were self-sustaining themselves as their fruit orchards fetched a good income for them. But with the gun-wielding militants spelling doom, they have nowhere to turn - after losing all sources of livelihood back in the Valley.

“We submitted a joint application to the office of Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner for registration of the 13 families as migrants,” V J Kaul, a representative of these families told reporters in Jammu.

He said they left their village due to fear and insecurity and “it is now up to the government to register them as migrants.”

The District administration Shopian had last week denied that the Pandit families were leaving due to fear of targeted killings. “It is clarified that due to the onset of winter and after the harvesting period is over, many families migrate to Jammu and that there are no instances of migration due to fear in the district,” it said in a tweet.

The joint application of these families reads: “We made a lot of sacrifices in order to be able to stand there holding the Tricolour. Considering the aforementioned details, we hope that your office would register us as migrants just like any other migrant.”

Ashwani Kumar, whose brother Puran Bhat was killed by militants recently said that he had migrated to Jammu and will never return to the Valley. Ashwani, a teacher by profession, also appealed to the authorities to adjust him in Jammu as he now has to look after the family of his slain brother also.

Five Pandits have been killed in the Valley by the militants in the last one year. Due to fear of attacks, over 4,000 Pandit employees, who had returned to the Valley as part of the centre's special employment scheme, have not been going to their offices for the last six months to mark their protest against the targeted attacks.

They have been demanding their relocation to Jammu till the time security situation improves in Kashmir.