NC chief rubbing salt on wounds of genocide victims: KPs

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Sept 2: Various political and social organizations have taken serious note of the statement of former Chief Minister and National Conference president, Dr Farooq Abdullah regarding the threatening letters warning Kashmiri Pandits.

In a statement issued here, today Kashmiri Pandit Sabha under the leadership of its president K. K. Khosa has reacted to the obnoxious statement made by the NC president regarding the threatening letters warning Kashmiri Pandits of dire consequences.

KPS termed Dr Farooq's statement as extremely silly, being born out of frustration and a delusional mindset. “It is shocking to see that a senior leaders like Dr.Farooq Abdullah along with most of the other leaders of his party continue to imagine that the Union Territory which was formerly a State has some special status even after the abrogation of the obnoxious articles 370 and 35A. The NC patriarch has tried to trivialise this sensitive issue which involves threats to members of the minority community by trying to put the blame on Central agencies so that the Union Territory is not given Statehood as promised. The Sabha members took strong exception to this weird logic and put the blame back on the National Conference led UT Government which has failed to initiate the process for return and rehabilitation of the Kashmiri Pandits back in the Valley inspite of having included the same in it's election manifesto almost two years back.

Senior KP leader from Delhi NCR, Ramesh Manvati while condemning the statement strongly said Farooq Abdullah's latest outburst about the fresh terror threats to Kashmiri Pandits is not only immature but highly condemnable as well.

"The issue of return of exiled Kashmiri Pandits to their roots and homeland in Kashmir is different from the issue of those bureaucrats, hailing from other parts of the country and at present serving in the Union Territory of J&K purely on a short term basis as per the established service rules. The genocide victim Kashmiri Pandit community has been receiving threats from Islamic terrorists repeatedly during the last nearly four decades. Clubbing the issue of Statehood to the latest threats against the Pandit community only speaks of the utter frustration, irresponsible public conduct and insensitivity of Farooq Abdullah" said Ramesh Manvati.

BJP senior leader and spokesperson, G.L Raina, party Seh Prabahri Kashmir, H L Bhat, president KDD, Raju Pandita and party State executive Member, Chetan Wanchoo have also shown their serious dismay over what they said immature and obnoxious statement of NC chief. They said NC was responsible for the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits as party was in power when terrorism gripped Kashmir Valley and senior leaders of the community including Tika Lal Taploo, Prem Nath Bhat and retired Judge Neelkant Ganjoo besides many other KP activists including his party block president, Yousf Halwai were killed by terrorists. With this objectionable statement NC leader was rubbing salt on the wounds of genocide victims, they added.

Kashmiri Pandit Conference (KPC) chief, Kundan Kashmiri and its senior vice president, Tej Pandita have also strongly condemned the statement of Dr Abdullah and urged him to seek an unconditional apology from the community for such outbursts. They said it is not for the first time when Dr Abdullah offended the community with his highly objectionable statements but he has been in the habit of the same. They said the community will never forget and forgive such leaders who have tried to seek pleasure at the peril of KPs and instead of working for their return and rehabilitation the NC patriarch was putting acid to their scars, they added.

Satish Mahaldar chairman J&K peace Forum while commenting on the statement said National Conference (NC) president, Dr. Farooq Abdullah's argument that Hindu officers from outside J&K are serving safely in Kashmir while Kashmiri Pandits are allegedly receiving threats misses the heart of the issue.

“A Government officer serves under the protection of the State,. A displaced Kashmiri Pandit is trying to return to an ancestral home abandoned decades ago,. These two realities cannot be placed on the same scale,” he said.

“If the threat letters are fake, investigate and expose those behind them. If they are from terrorists punish the perpetrators. But questioning one letter cannot become a way of questioning the fears of an entire displaced community”.

“Dr. Abdullah says "Daal mein kuch kaala hai." Fine investigate the Dal. But don't lose sight of the 36-year-old wound”.

He said, “The Pandit question did not begin with a social-media letter. It began with displacement, separation from ancestral homes, unresolved properties and a return that remains incomplete”.