STATE TIMES NEWS
Jammu: Four prominent migrant Kashmiri Pandit organisations have decided to unitedly make a representation before the central and Jammu and Kashmir governments over the alleged “genocide” of Hindus and Sikhs in the valley during 1989-2003. The KP bodies — Panun Kashmir, Roots in Kashmir, Youth 4 Panun Kashmir and Kashmiri Samiti Delhi — will also launch an online petition to seek support of people from across the country.
The Supreme Court had on September 2 asked an NGO that raised the issue of the alleged genocide of Hindus and Sikhs in Jammu and Kashmir during 1989-2003 to make a representation before the Centre and appropriate authorities.
In its plea, the NGO ‘We the Citizens’ sought the constitution of a Special Investigation Team to identify the perpetrators who were involved in, or aided and abetted the alleged genocide.
The plea was heard by a bench of Justices B R Gavai and C T Ravikumar.
“The four Pandit organisations met to chalk out the strategy post the Supreme Court’s direction on the petition to deliver justice to Kashmiri Pandit and the Sikh community on their genocide and ethnic cleansing in Kashmir.
“The representatives of these organisations agreed that the government shall be approached immediately, highlighting the issues and demands of justice,” the organisations said in a joint statement.
“It is an irony that while Pakistan has been the cardinal provocateur of the genocide against Hindus of Kashmir, the Government of India during last three decades has been the primary motor behind their denial of genocide. Any policies that contribute to denial of genocide of Hindus of Kashmir are in fact crimes against humanity and should be immediately stopped, the statement said.
The statement highlighted their demands which include enactment of a genocide prevention bill, initiating the formation of a tribunal to investigate the crimes of genocide, and return and rehabilitatin of the community.
It also includes the creation of a centrally administered place for the settlement for the displaced Kashmiri pandits, and the relocation of PM package employees outside the Valley to avoid target killings of Hindus in the valley.