Bhat seeks political empowerment for community
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 16: To seek political empowerment for the Kashmiri Pandit community leading an exiled life for last 30 years, Youth All India Kashmiri Samaj (YAIKS) today announced to nominate 46 coordinators of the organization for all 10 districts of the Valley.
Disclosing this at a press conference here, today, YAIKS president, R K Bhat said that the political empowerment of the Kashmiri Pandits leading an exiled life for last three decades has been necessitated as the successive Governments since 1990 failed to make the return and rehabilitation of the community in Kashmir Valley possible.
He said even a tradition of electing one or two members of the community to Assembly from Valley has also been done away with after the mass exodus of the community in 1989-90 and political parties totally abandoned this tradition linked to secular values of the State and created an impression that Kashmiri Pandits who were the indigenous people of Valley with over 5000 years of cultural history had no role in political and social milieu of Kashmir forgetting their age old contribution to aesthetics, art, culture and civilization.
Bhat, while turning tables to successive governments and political parties, said it is a pity that even after three decades the Government is undecided about their return and rehabilitation which forced his organization to start a process empowerment of the community.
He demanded that only those KP representatives be nominated by political parties who have mandate at grassroot level and also have a past track record of their contribution to the community and there should be no pick and choose policy by the political parties in this regard.
Bhat, who was flanked by B K Bhat, Sunil Koul vice presidents of the organization, Manoj Handoo its general secretary, Ajay Safaya and Sanjay Ganjoo joint secretaries, Sanjev Koul, Rakesh Fotedar and Ravinder Sharma, secretaries and D N Bhat and B L Dhar its advisors said the community has lost its identity after the displacement and it is holding temporary ration cards in a country which is called the world’s largest democracy and how long will it go. This is a shame for the political leadership of the country and Indian secularism which over the years failed to restore the homes and hearts to the community in Valley.
Bhat said the community is facing extreme physical and mental torture, artificial sympathies, half baked return plans and their insincere implementation. “This can’t restore KPs their lost identity and It shows that there is no political will power to ensure permanent resettlement and comprehensive rehabilitation of the community”, he added.
He said since all the political parties have miserably failed to represent the aspirations of displaced community hence YAIKS has decided o nominate its representatives for all 46 Assembly constituencies of Valley in the coming days to seek political reservation and empowerment. He also sought community’s support for the same.
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