B L Saraf
The return to and rehabilitation prospect of the displaced Pandit, in Kashmir , has been running in a tidal circle. Mostly, it is at the lowest ebb; occasionally it gets perched on the high tide , only to falter once the political capital is milked out of it. Today, the matter is on a high tide thanks to a high functionary of the RSS.
Reportedly, Sarkarivah (National General Secretary) RSS, Shri Bhiaya Ji Joshi , while speaking to the local functionaries of the organization, in Jammu, declared that the present Central Government has shown commitment towards return of Pandits to Kashmir and ” efforts shall be made to link third generation of KPs to the roots , culturally, with which they have lost connection over the years .” It is indeed a heartening statement. To translate it into the reality something positive needs to be done on the ground. Otherwise it will remain only a ‘Pious statement ” as so many like it have come from various Governments, at various times, over the period of three decades of forced displacement of the Pandit community.
The statement is welcome. As the time has almost run out so mere showing of the commitment will not suffice. Given the past experience, in this regard, nothing substantial has materialized on the ground. Therefore , it is time to do something tangible to be true to the commitment. The displaced community has huge expectation from the incumbent Central Government and the LG’s administration. First thing that GOI must do is to shun the attitude of prevarication. At times we are told that land at different places in the Valley has been earmarked for the settlement of the displaced Pandits then, next day, we hear that the plan has been changed . The settlement may not be at a one exclusive place but it has to be in a rather concentrated form wherever it is in Kashmir . We have to grant it to the State authorities to select places, because they are better placed to take care of physical security and related aspects. Nevertheless, the community’s concerns regarding a congenial neighborhood, social togetherness and congregational celebrations of the religious festivals must be given a due thought. Thirty years long separation from the original place requires some time to get acclimatized with the changed environment and familiarize with the new habitat.
It can’t be denied that army veterans belonging to the Valley need space to build homes. But it would be unwise to club their settlement with that of the displaced community. For, it will provide a stick to the mischief mongers to be the spoil sport . Each matter should be dealt with separately.
It is pleasant to hear that RSS is keen to see Pandit youth reconnected with the roots. But there is no road map given to see how it can happen. The only effective and real way of doing so is to provide public employment to the young educated and open avenues of livelihood for the over aged. For that it is necessary to full fill, to the entirety, the employment component of PM’s package, announced in 2008 .
It is equally important to rekindle , among the displaced youth , a sense of heritage, civilization and faith in the spiritual high mark of the Valley, to feel proud thereof. To ensure that there is an impending need to salvage the community’s spiritual and civilzational sign posts which stand vandalized right now. Temples and Shrines need a statutory protection and preservation as community has been demanding for a long time. Most of these places have vanished -thanks to the unscrupulous -and some are on the verge of extinction .
To connect the 3rd generation of the displaced Pandits with their roots is indeed laudable thought : but what about their elders – the original residents – who are about to lose their right to live in the Valley. The first move in this regard has been to disenfranchise and throw them out of the electoral regime. ‘M’ Form has been used as weapon to eliminate the displaced community from the electoral politics. If by chance anyone cuts through the cumbersome process and wants to exercise his right to vote, he is asked to vote for a candidate whom he doesn’t know: nor does the candidate ever care to show his face and approach him for his vote. Recently held DDC election is a point in the case. The displaced persons stand thrown out, disempowered -political as well as economically. To gain the confidence of the displaced community state authorities must pay attention to the issue and get it sorted out.
It goes without denying that with the passage of time the issue of return to and rehabilitation of the displaced persons, in Kashmir, has become a complex one . Over the period , many layers have enwrapped the issue. It needs a Herculean effort to unravel it. The displaced persons must appreciate it. As it is important for the Governments to find a reasonable way out, so, the community cannot be absolved of its duty to act as a facilitator. The best thing that it can do is to refrain from airing Quixotic ideas of settlement and project unrealistic demands which are incapable of being met with. There has to be a well thought out goal post which is not susceptible to a change at a whim of some one.
It is naïve to expect that someone would come ” begging for Pandit’s return. The thought has a potential to construct a guilt narrative which, given the circumstances, will help none. Equally, it is important to dispel the impression that exiled Pandits suffer from ‘Return Disinclination Syndrome’.
The plight of the displaced community requires a unified response. There can’t be what the former UN Secretary General Ban -Ki – Moon called in this situation a ” One size fits all ” solution . All sections of the society, religious leaders and the organs of the state have to act in a way that remedies the problem . Pandits, too , will have to walk some distance towards the ultimate destination .
(The author is former Principal District & Sessions Judge)
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