Omkar Dattatary
There is a big question mark on the return and rehabilitation of Kashmir pandits as the killings of the its community members is going on though now at the intervals unlike as in the hay days of militancy of 1990.The BJP dispensation of the centre government wants to embark on the return and rehabilitation of the exiled Kashmir pandits although it is on the papers only. Those in power at Delhi may cry horse on the return of pandits to the valley but the ground situation is not conducive for their return and rehabilitation. Though Government claims that there is improvement on the ground, but killings of the Kashmir pandits are taking place and in such an environment it will be counter productive to execute the return and rehabilitation of the Kashmir pundits back home. The killing of yet another Kashmiri Pandit namely Rakesh pandit who was the president of municipal committee Tral is an eye opener in this regard. Last year Ajay pandita a sarpanch of Larkipora was shot dead by the terrorists at Lokbhawan in Anantnag district. Though Rakesh pandit had the affiliation with the BJPand Ajay pandit with the congress ,however they were murdered for being kashmiri pundits.Kashmiri pundits continue to be killed whenever the terrorists get an opportunity. The kashmiri pundits are cannon fodder the arsenal of the terrorists and are killed at the caprice and whims of the Jihadists. The terrorists strike at the will on the kashmiri pundits here and there and the unidentified gunmen remain at large. Every time the killings of K.ps sends shock waves in the exiled community and there is a sense of insecurity among the residual k.ps living in Kashmir. Kashmiri pundits are the soft targets and as such are killed by the gun welders for sadistic pleasure. All the utopian plans of the central and UT government will fell flat if executed as the conductions back home in valley are not feasible for the return of the displaced community. Every time a kashmiri pandit is killed for no fault of his own, it reminds the community of the mass exodus days when hundreds of the kashmiri pundits were killed and tortured and it brings gloom and despair in the community. A pall of gloom has been felt by the community of K.PS on the brutal killings of its members. Not that only the K.Ps belonging to the BJP are killed but they continue to be killed irrespective of the party affiliations ,the only condition being the kashmiri pundits. It is thus immature to embark on the plan of their return to the valley. The conditions in Kashmir are not congenial for the return and consequent rehabilitation of the kashmiri pandits . Therefore the centre government should see the writing on the wall and not take any step towards the return of the displaced community in haste that will boom range .So only after complete normalcy and security the plan for return and rehabilitation should be thought and worked. Some kashmiri pandit youth are posted in the valley and work there in compulsion and this cannot be called the return and rehabilitation. The only condition for their safe return and rehabilitation is the creation of the home land for the displaced community where there is full flow of the Indian constitution and complete security of the life and limb of the K.P community and then and then only they can return to the valley which originally belongs to them. Notwithstanding the loud claims of the normalcy of conditions in the valley as it is improper to think of the return of the kashmiri pundits in the present circumstances were its members are being killed and as a result the fear psychosis continue to haunt the exiled pandits and those negligible members living in the valley at the good will of the majority community and they are safe and sound as long as the muslim majority like it .They can return only when there is fool proof security for them in the valley otherwise all plans of their return are impractical and for from reality. On the killings of the KPS one is reminded of the hay days of militancy of 1990 when hundreds of the KPS were murdered ,maimed and tortured and a wave of grief and gloom is felt by the community. One wonders how long the killings of the kashmiri pandits will continue as the rulers do not prosecute those involved in the killing of the pandits and no punishment is given to the killers of the KPs. One Bitta Karatay a militant of the JKLF has publically declared having killed two dozen KPs and he is not given the severe punishment even after 35 years of this crime. Therefore if you want the return and rehabilitation of the kashmiri pandits to valley the ground situations should be made feasible otherwise even thinking of the return is out of question. The gruesome killing of Rakesh Pandit has happened and his killers should be immediately arrested and with the speedy trial they should be given harsh punishment so that a sense of security is created in the KPS. His legal heir should be absorbed in the government job and the family should be rehabilitated. Anyhow there is a great question mark on the return and rehabilitation of the pandits.
