Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, May 6: An apex body of Kashmir’s internally displaced Pandits today reiterated the demand of rehabilitation, saying the State Government has left them unattended even as formalities have been completed.
Chuni Lal, the president of Hindu Welfare Society Kashmir (HWSK), which represents 51 non-migrant Hindu families, told Excelsior that the verification for their rehabilitation was completed during the tenure of late Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed but since then there has been no further development.
“The verification of all families was completed upto the level of Director General of Police (DGP) and a copy of same was submitted to the then Rehabilitation Minister, Basharat Ahmad Bukhari,” he said. However, the HWSK president said, nothing further has been done.
The HWSK said they are not against the rehabilitation of migrant Pandits but the State and Central Governments should also take their care. “Out of 3000 jobs announced under Prime Minister’s employment package, 300 were reserved for non-migrant Hindus but none of our youths have been appointed so far,” he said.
Chuni Lal said the non-migrant Hindus who didn’t leave Kashmir valley after the eruption of militancy in 1990 have upheld the Kashmiriyat despite facing lot of difficulties. “Although we migrated to towns and city from villages but preferred not to leave the Valley. However, we have been ignored from the day one and we are in distress,” he added.
Appealing Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and her deputy, Dr Nirmal Singh to rehabilitate the non-migrant Hindus on humanitarian grounds, the HWSK president said that they are facing multiple problems and are running from pillar to post since last two decades.
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