Says ‘Pandits have to make a choice whether they want to come here or not’
Srinagar: Member of the panel of community leaders of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) Rouble Nagi Thursday said the displaced Kashmiri Pandits will have to decide on their return to the valley as there is no negative attitude among the people of Kashmir towards the migrants.
“I do not think that today, there is any negative attitude among Kashmiri people to not welcome Kashmiri Pandits. There are a few steps that have been taken for their return and now the choice is theirs. They have to make a choice whether they want to come here or not,” Nagi said at a press conference here after her five-day visit to various areas of the Kashmir valley.
She said that as far as safety and security of Kashmiri Pandits is concerned, “everything is very peaceful and good in the valley”.
“We should move forward in a positive direction,” she added, when asked about the steps taken by the NCM to ensure the safety of Kashmiri Pandits if they return to the valley.
“I would say that what has happened should be forgotten and focus should be on what will happen in the future. Today, we are not a fanatic country because in India, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists and Jains all live together.
“Today, India is flourishing, our economy is booming, we are building roads and bridges. We have built huge bridges and underpasses in the sea in Maharashtra. We have to see how we can collectively take our country forward,” she said.
Replying to a question about a recent US panel report on minorities in India, Nagi said killing somebody in the name of religion is not acceptable.
“To kill anyone for any reason is not acceptable, because violence or killing is not something that can be forgiven or should be forgiven. It is not that the Muslims living in Kashmir have not faced such things, it is not just that Hindus, Pandits, Sikhs or Christians only have faced that,” she said.
“A lot of good work has been done in J&K over the last few years,” she said, adding that the number of killings has come down.
Seeking people’s support for initiatives at building peace, she said people also have to take a step forward to support the government on such initiatives.
“It is always a collective effort. It can never happen on one person’s responsibility. All of us need to be responsible,” she said.
Nagi, whose Rouble Nagi Art Foundation has undertaken various initiatives in J&K for the betterment of people’s lives, said during her visit as an NCM member, she met different minority communities, including Sikhs, Christians, Brahmins, Kashmiri Pandits, Ahmadiyas and Gujjars.
Nagi said she received some requests from them and has compiled a report based on their “genuine concerns” which will be submitted in Delhi. She expressed hope for a positive response and steps to address those concerns.
