Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Dec 25: Renow-ned Cine star and a member of Indian civil society, Anupam Kher today said that the separatists should seek an apology from the displaced Pandits of Valley for their mass exodus and for propagating the ideology that was responsible for death and destruction in the State.
Kher, who is on three days tour of Jammu region along with film maker Ashok Pandit was talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function at Jagti township this afternoon.
Holding separatists responsible for the mass exodus of peace loving Kashmiri Pandits from Valley, he said had the militancy not surfaced in Kashmir during 1989-90, the Pandits would have not been forced to become refugees in their own country.
“The separatists should say sorry to Pandits for what they have done and they should also accept that”, said Kher, adding till date they have failed to accept that they were responsible for mass exodus of the minorities from Valley.
The cine star while strongly advocating for grant of Internally- displaced status to Pandits said it is high time for the Government of India to accord Internally Displaced status to exiled Pandits of Valley instead of calling them as migrants.
“The Pandits have this expectation from the BJP Government at Centre that it will accord IDP status to them”, he added.
Terming Prime Minister’s visit to Pakistan a welcome step and an important diplomatic move, Anupam Kher said “may be Prime Minister has seen some thing positive in it”.
While lauding the role of Prime Minister, he said he (Mr Modi) has not taken a single holiday since he assumed office and he is working hard for the betterment of the countrymen and development of nation. This is the reason that some people get upset with his style of working also and they often target him.
Kher said Prime Minister with his hard work has shown mirror to every politician and conveyed a message to them that they are not as hardworking as he is.
Earlier, addressing a public meeting of Kashmiri migrants at Jagti township along with film maker Ashok Pandit, Kher said that he is the part and parcel of the Pandit community from Kashmir and his cousins too live in the State. He regretted that no sincere efforts were made on the part of Government to mitigate the sufferings of displaced Pandits who have suffered a lot and faced pain and agony during the 26 years of turmoil.
Kher said he will take up their problems with Prime Minister, Narendra Modi while referring to a charter of demands presented to him by Jagti Migrants Welfare Committee led by Pinto Ji.
He said along with film maker Ashok Pandit they will try to be a direct link between Jagti township inmates and Prime Minister. Admitting that the conditions are bad in Jagti, he said that he will take up the issue with State Government also.
“If the situation will not change and Pandits problems are not solved I doubt that the community youth may be forced to retaliate”, said Ashok Pandit.
Kher, while making a dig at those who talk of intolerance in the country said that they should visit in these camps and see how the forces of intolerance have made these peace loving people to suffer. Still the Pandits have strenuous resilience as they did not resort to any sort of violence over these years, he added.
He said that he will try to generate fund from certain sources for the welfare of the displaced people especially those living in camps. He said the nationalist people of country should also see that under what conditions their brethren are living in camps.
The memorandum submitted by the Welfare Committee demanded judicial probe into mass exodus of Pandits from Valley and action against the forces responsible for the same, empowerment of the community by giving representation in Parliament and State Legislature, grant of Internally Displaced status to KPs, soft and interest free loans for over-aged youth, absorption of displaced youth in Corporate Sector, passage of Temples and Shrines Bill and rehabilitation of Pandits in a single township in Valley, IIT and Degree College for Jagti, restoration of right to vote to displaced Pandits, easing the procedure of Medical Corpus Fund, releasing the pending ex–gratia and encouragement of KP talented youth in Bollywood and implementation of PM package in letter and spirit.
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