New Delhi: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) wants the Narendra Modi government to create separate colonies in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to accommodate Kashmiri Pandits.
This is part of a ‘wishlist’ that the RSS has recently sent to the government on behalf of the Kashmiri Pandits, ThePrint has learnt.
“Kashmiri Pandits should be rehabilitated with foolproof security. They should be kept together in two or three designated colonies,” a senior RSS functionary told ThePrint.
“The government should ensure their complete security. They should also get equal opportunity of employment,” said the functionary, who did not wish to be named.
The Modi government’s decision to scrap Article 370 had given rise to new hope among the community that it would take some solid steps for their relocation. Little, however, has moved on that front.
The RSS is now stepping up pressure on the Modi government to ensure that the Kashmiri Pandits are allowed to return to the Valley. The Sangh’s latest move comes after its chief Mohan Bhagwat highlighted the issue in his annual Dussehra speech at Nagpur on 8 October.
Lauding the scrapping of Article 370, Bhagwat had said, “This effort will come to fruition only when justice denied under the influence of Article 370 is restored, injustices occurred are brought to an end. It will happen when our Kashmiri Pandits who were unjustly driven away are brought back and rehabilitated and allowed to remain secure, fearless, patriotic and Hindu.”
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What RSS wants for Kashmiri Pandits
The senior RSS functionary told ThePrint that organisation was satisfied by the steps taken by the Modi government to resolve the Kashmir problem but now wants it to take “solid steps” to ensure displaced Kashmiri Pandits return to the Valley.
He added that the organisation has sent suggestions to the government.
In this, the RSS has listed security as its primary concern for Kashmiri Pandits. It has called on the central and UT governments to create a law that will guarantee the security of relocated Kashmiris. “They should not face any kind of inconvenience in security-related matters,” its charter states.
The Sangh also wants special colonies for the community. “Resettling them in a scattered manner will create greater security risks. Some colonies are indeed being created but there are two families living in one flat,” its document reads.
The RSS also also wants the government to decide as to how the returning Pandits will be able to earn their livelihood. “Employment opportunity according to their eligibility should be made available to them,” it has said.
The organisation has further urged the Modi government to engage with organisations working for Kashmiri Pandits to assess the damage to properties previously held by the community. “The illegally occupied properties should be traced and efforts should be made to determine as to how they can be returned to the Kashmiri Pandits,” it has said.
Other senior functionaries said they also want the government to work out a strategy to “change the perception of local Kashmiris” towards the Pandits.
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All Kashmiri Pandit organizations have to be taken on board before finalizing a viable and a durable plan for the people thrown out. Some people are suggesting that they should talk to the majority community first! There is no harm in evolving a consensus on this humanitarian tragedy till there are positive and welcoming signals even if they are belated. We hope so but this is not a surety. But I beg to ask these noble souls why are these questions raised only in the Kashmiri context and not in other states. I feel we should first set up a truth and justice commission for the ethnic cleansing monstrosity that was committed on this hapless community. We should then go by the commissions recommendations and guidelines.
First things first before we embark upon tying the cart before horse. No return and rehablitation plan of govt can work unless and untill the Genocode of this religo Ethinic community is first recognized and then reversed.
Reversal of Genocide needs to encompass and consider three basic cardinals : Safety, Dignity and Non refoulement. All the aspects of Reversal of Genocide have been duly addressed from commumity’s perspective through Margdarshan Resolution 1991 and most recently another memo by GKPD based on MG 91 presented to PM modi from scores of locations across globe by Diaspora.
While appreciating the support, displaced Kashmiri Hindus want RSS to correct the demand – the return to multiple colonies will be rejected by the displaced community , RSS needs to voice the collective decision of the community – Margdarshan 91 and reiterated in the September’2018 Memorandum submitted to GOI by the Global Kashmiri Pandit Diaspora at various centres all across the globe (including various cities in India) – The displaced community will return to Kashmir to a single concentrated zone with adequate constitutional guarantees. We have already faced seven exoduses out of Kashmir – we need to plan so that 1989 is not repeated.
GKPD
After the abrogation of 370 in Kashmir and its bifurcation now it is de-facto ruled by Narendra Modi and as it is seen that the Army, Security forces and J&K Police together are not able to give the fool proof protection of those who are living there or are working there for decades. The latest killings have proved this and it is seen with dismay that our tweeter Master who tweets every now and then and always is silent on this. RSS representative or Mohan Bhagwat the chief neither live there nor do they have any experience of living there nor do they intend to live there. That it is only security concern of the RSS man who has placed the wish list about is reluctant to share his name and postion in the RSS to the media. More over it is all those who are neither the mouthpiece of Kashmiri Pandit nor the ones who are serious about their rehabilitation.
This is a fair demand from the RSS. If Modi-Shah are not able to rehabilitate the Pundits, they should admit that they have failed. This was the Central issue around which the whole policy in Kashmir was formulated. If Modi cannot perform on this one issue he has no right to be in a leadership role in BJP.
Absolutely agreed government should be resettle the Kashmiri pandits in Kashmir soon as possible and more.
A very fair edit in IE today, which places the recent killings of migrant workers, some of them Muslims, in the context of a message being sent out that outsiders are not welcome in Kashmir, certainly not as permanent residents. Whatever the future holds for Kashmir, it must be patiently, peacefully negotiated with the people of the Valley. It cannot be imposed by force. 2. Ironic that Lt Gen Panag suggests that the lessons of Nagaland should be applied to Kashmir – it should have been the other way round.