Jammu, September 3:
A delegation of Panun Kashmir under the leadership of President, Virender Raina met the BJP General Secretary, Ashok Koul to discuss various important matters regarding the affairs of the community. A memorandum was also presented to the BJP leader on the occasion enumerating important issues of the community that need immediate resolution.
Virender Raina while discussing the concerns of the community said that the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community has suffered immensely following their exodus from Kashmir. Following their genocide and ethnic cleansing from Kashmir the community is getting dispersed all across the country and globe and as a result loosing its social and cultural identity. The successive governments have failed to rehabilitate them in Kashmir in accordance with their geo political aspirations, whatever KP moorings were left in Kashmir have disappeared over the years. The efforts of the previous governments to rehabilitate KPs in Kashmir have been halfhearted and piecemeal and lacked political will. All previous efforts failed because no attempt was made to involve the genuine representatives of the community in the process or to have a discussion with them before undertaking such an important endeavour. We would like to reiterate that the return and permanent settlement of Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir is a political problem and needs to be dealt with politically by addressing the geo political aspirations of the community. Kashmiri Pandit is the indigenous and aboriginal community of Kashmir and as such has the first right over the territory of Kashmir.
Virender Raina said that all the perpetrators who have committed genocide of Kashmiri Hindus need to be tried in a fast track court and brought to justice. We welcome that some measures in this regard have been taken initiated but more needs to be done. The role of the apex court in this regard has been highly demoralising for the displaced community. The recent refusal of the apex court to entertain a PIL to probe genocide of the KP community is disappointing.
Virender Raina also discussed the issues related to the PM Package and said that the employees need a comprehensive resolution of the problems faced by them. There is a need to instill in them a sense of security and belongingness. They should not be put in harm’s way until the conditions in Kashmir for them are completely normal.
On the occasion Virender Raina said that there is a dire need to simplify the process of voting for the displaced community. The cumbersome process of M-Form needs to be done away with completely and normal process of voting needs to be adopted for them. Kashmiri Pandit is a staunch nationalist and has a primal factorial importance in the spectrum of Kashmir and need not be seen from the prism of electoral politics alone.
Ashok Koul while addressing the delegation said that BJP is cognizant of all the matters concerning the displaced KP community. He said that the BJP appreciates the highly nationalist credentials of KPs and they have continued to support national mission despite difficult circumstances.
The prominent who were part of the delegation included Kamal Bagati, General Secretary, Upinder Koul, General Secretary and P.K.Bhan.