HVK Archives: Frustrated Pandits now seek rehabilitation outside state
Frustrated Pandits now seek rehabilitation outside state - The Indian Express
Press Trust of India
()
December 21, 1998
Title: Frustrated Pandits now seek rehabilitation outside state
Author: Press Trust of India
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: December 21, 1998
Approaching the tenth year in "exile", around 3 lakh migrant
Pandits are losing hope of a "honourable" and "secure" return to
the valley and have begun an exercise to formulate a consensus
within the community to chalk out the future strategy.
Alleging that the Centre and the state had done nothing for
their return, their leaders are now contemplating to seek
"permanent settlement" outside the State.
To chalk out the future strategy, leaders of four major
organisations - All India Kashmiri Pandit Conference (AIKPC),
Kashmiri Samiti, J&k Kashmiri Pandit Conference and Panun
Kashmir Movement - met here recently and decided to "chum out" a
common agenda for rehabilitation.
"Tall Government claims notwithstanding, militancy in the valley
is showing no signs of receding. We cannot wait endlessly for
the situation to improve as socially, economically and
culturally we are undergoing degradation," said AIKPC president
H N Jattu. He claimed an opinion was emerging within the
community to seek "permanent rehabilitation" outside the State.
Kashmiri Samiti president C L Gadoo said different views were
being expressed within the community about their future.
Besides, the community is suffering from a number of problems,
he added. "To evolve a common programme, we are planning a
convention of all organisations of the community," he said.
Asserting that the situation at the moment was not "conducive"
for return, Gadoo, however, added that the Pandits could not
give up their claim on their "ancestral land".
Another Pandit leader said, "We have reports from suggesting
that our properties have been occupied by local people in
connivance with police. Referring to the recent statement by
former CM G M Shah offering his "salutations" to militants, he
said "There seems to be no secular political party in Jammu &
Kashmir on which we can bank upon."
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