Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 11: All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in the sacred city of Harminder Sahib, under the aegis of its Amritsar affiliate Kashmiri Pandit Sabha, Amritsar. The delegates who participated in the AGM paid obeisance to the eternal Guru Ji at the Golden Temple.
During the deliberations at the general body meeting, AIKS reaffirmed the pending demands of the organization.
It while reiterating its demand on return of the community to the Valley gave thrust to creation of concentrated settlements for the community which have to be self sufficient in terms of infrastructure, economic avenue, decent accommodation, education, healthcare, security, etc.
It stressed on political empowerment of the community in order to protect its identity and promote its socio-cultural interests. The community being a microscopic minority, the AIKS demanded representation in Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council through statutory provision.
It urged the Government of India to initiate steps to set in motion process of declaring community as Internally Displaced People (IDP) as enunciated in the UN Human Rights Charter, stressed on setting up of a commission to inquire into the circumstances which led to mass exodus of the community in 1989-90 and fix responsibility for the same, demanded protection of the ethno religious identity of the minuscule minority and asked both Central and State Governments to take steps to grant minority status to Kashmiri Pandit community.
The AIKS also demanded protection and preservation of shrines, temples and properties of KPs which have been encroached upon or usurped or forcefully occupied in Kashmir Valley in violation of the provisions of “J&K Migrants Immovable Property (stay of proceedings Act 1997”) Act and appealed the Government to take into custody all such properties and declare all such sales as null and void.
Further the AGM demanded for constitution of a Committee with representation from Central Government, State Government and KP community to oversee these demands.
Before start of the AGM, Master Dhroon Tickoo, a little singing star of the community was honoured with a trophy for his achievement on reaching to the final stage of a singing competition on a TV show.
Senior most community leader Pandit Jatoo was also honoured for his community service.
It is pertinent to mention that AIKS is fully supporting Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib Sanmaan Yatra Committee in organizing Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Sanmaan Yatra from Gurdwara Sri Sheesh Ganj Sahib to Gurdwara Sri Kesgarh Sahib Anandpur Sahib on 6th January 2018. Yatra is being organized in collaboration with Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.
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