Dear Editor,
The most daunting task and difficult question regarding Kashmir imbroglio is the dignified return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits who are the original inhabitants of Kashmir valley. Unarguably, it can be said with certainty that this patriotic KP community which was hounded out by the terrorists in Kashmir during 1990s, continue to live in exile for the last 33 years now. However, an economic package in the shape of 6000 jobs for Kashmiri Migrants was announced by the then congress government in the year 2008. It needs no repetition that the economic condition of displaced Kashmiri Pandits was not sound as they had left their home and hearth in valley. Thus taking a compassionate view of the overall situation of KPs, the then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh formulated a job package for these victims of genocide but deliberately the J&K erstwhile state government at that time cleverly amended this job package with the arbitrary and unconstitutional bond, thus resulted into a punishment package for Kashmiri Pandits. Initially, this job package for KPs was supposed to be implemented in Jammu province but very unfortunately the then state government exploited the need and urge of these Kashmiri Pandit youths and linked this package with rehabilitation package. The centre government must understand the fact that forced rehabilitation of some 5000 package employees is totally unacceptable. Even LG has also pointed out that this job package is just an economic package and should not be linked with the rehabilitation of whole KP community. Thus there is an urgent need to delink this job package with rehabilitation package. Talking of rehabilitation of KP community is humbug till a proper dialogue be initiated with them. The Kashmiri Pandits are the main stakeholders so before embarking on any plan for their return and rehabilitation the KP leaders must be first consulted. There is no denying the fact that various regimes expressed their intent to bring the Kashmiri Pandits back without any tangible plan and dialogue on the issue with them. Now amid targeted and selective killings of Hindu minorities in Kashmir, the PM package Kashmiri Pandit employees have fled the valley and are continuously agitating for their survival and existence from the last 116 days. It is very strange that day in and day out threat warnings are circulated on various social media platforms & the Kashmiri Pandits as well as other non-locals are being targeted and killed for no fault of theirs except that they do not subscribe to the thinking and destructive philosophy of the crusaders of Jihad. This is the testimony of the fact that the PM package KP employees won’t be able to perform their duties in such a surcharged atmosphere of Kashmir and thus rightly they are demanding their relocation to Jammu province. The centre Govt must take some corrective measures in this regard and transfer all KP package employees to Jammu division so that their precious lives could be saved.
Vivek Koul,
Jammu.