Vivek Koul
It is indeed very sad and ironical that Kashmiri Pandits, originally inhabitants of Kashmir valley, are living like refugees in their own homeland. This is the greatest human tragedy in the modern times. It is even more painful that not even a single political party came to them and redresses their grievances. This ill-fated community left the valley in 1990s due to Islamic persecution by fundamentalists. This peace loving community witness hysteria in the form of threats, blaring slogans of leaving the valley or convert or die during that phase of militancy in the valley. That phase of terrorism had really shattered the lives of Kashmiri Pandits. Since after the mass migration of Kashmiri Pandits from their native places, this patriotic and peace loving community lived the life of abject poverty. This miniscule population is living in Jammu and other parts of the country. The government always speaks in high volumes as far as the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits are concerned but the harsh reality is somewhat different. The Kashmiri centric political parties and Separatists never want Kashmiri Pandits to settle again in Kashmir. They shed crocodile tears to win the name and fame only by saying that “Kashmiri pandits are our brothers and we welcome them”. But the ground reality is that they never care for the same. Kashmiri Pandits are of no use to the politicians as they are minority in number and are not a vote bank. That is why the KP's have been discriminated by all the political parties since their forced exodus from their native places. It is also in place to mention here that in 2009 the former Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh has taken a step forward for the return and rehabilitation of Pandits back to the valley but the state government has totally failed to re-establish the KP community. The Prime minister's return and rehabilitation package in the form of jobs for the kashmiri migrants was announced in 2010 but due to dubious and callous attitude of the state government, this package has not been fully implemented till date. This package is mere an eye wash for the Kashmiri Pandit community. The government always made favorable statements as far as the safe and dignified return of the Kashmiri Pandits is concerned but in reality nothing that sort of happened in letter and in spirit. The government only gives hollow promises and shallow slogans in this pretext but the ground reality is totally different. Kashmiri Pandits have always been discriminated by the state government since migration and the state govt. don't want KP's rehabilitation back in the valley. The state government's step motherly treatment towards Kashmiri Pandits by not ensuring their safe and dignified return is really a cause of grave concern. The centre government has already given its green signal for the safe return of the KP's and their establishment in the separate colonies in Kashmir. But the Kashmiri centric political parties and Separatist leaders highly objected this favoritism to the Kashmiri migrants for the best reasons known to them. The Kashmir is boiling these days due to terrorism so Kashmiri Pandits cannot be safe without security. Moreover, the job package which was announced in the year 2010 by the then PM has also been delayed deliberately by the state government. The state government is not coming to terms with the central government as far as this employment package for the Pandits is concerned. There were around 6000 jobs under this special employment package for the Kashmiri migrants but the fate is that the state government is not willing to provide jobs to the Pandits community. This job package is in doldrums from the last 9 years and till date nothing fruitful happened in this pretext. Unemployment problem is growing and looming large these days among the youths of this ill-fated community. But the government is not keen in offering jobs to the Pandit community under this special package of the central government. This is very sad and disturbing phenomenon that such kind of biasedness and nepotism happens in the state of Jammu and Kashmiri where one community is given special treatment while the other community is hoodwinked by the government. How sad is this? After migration, Kashmiri Pandits did saw harsh and worst conditions in Jammu where they lived in tents for around twenty years and faced the brunt of scorching heat in summers which they are not used to. They left behind everything in Kashmir i.e their land, their properties and other belongings. These poor Kashmiri migrants sold out their properties and land in cheap prices as they were in need of money for the survival and livelihood after their forced exodus from the valley. It has also been highly witnessed these days that the other community members have illegally trespassed their Properties and land which is so sad and the government just behaving like a mute spectator while watching all this happening around feebly. This is very sorry state of affairs. There are some Kashmiri Pandits doing jobs in the valley but they always live in fear psychosis. It is hoped now that the central and the state government should come forward to join hands and must initiate some positive and bold steps for the safe and dignified return of this ill-fated community. Then and only then universal brotherhood could be strengthened in the valley of Kashmir for which the Kashmiris are famous in the worldwide.
