Jammu: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday said Kashmiri Pandits are always welcome to return to their homes in the Valley, as the displaced community observed the 36th anniversary of their exodus in Jammu and reiterated demands for a comprehensive policy on their return and rehabilitation.
However, the former chief minister expressed scepticism about whether the migrated community would want to come back in a permanent manner, considering they have built new lives where they currently reside in other parts of the country, with their children engaged in employment and education.
In a related development, J&K Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary said the National Conference leadership has always supported the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley as Kashmir is incomplete without the community.
Kashmiri Pandits observe January 19 as “holocaust day” to mark the exodus of their community members from the Valley in 1990.
Members of the community also staged protests at various locations in support of their demands, including a separate homeland within the Valley.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a two-day party programme here, Abdullah noted that many Kashmiri Pandit families never left the Valley and continue to live peacefully in their villages and localities.
“When will they return (to Kashmir)? Who is stopping them? No one is preventing them. They should come back, as it is their home. Many Kashmiri Pandits are currently living in the Valley and have not left their villages,” the former chief minister responded when asked about protests by Kashmiri Pandits supporting their demand for return and rehabilitation in the Valley.
Hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits, under the banner of ‘Youth 4 Panun Kashmir,’ also blocked the Jammu-Srinagar national highway near Jagti camp on Sunday evening, demanding a separate homeland in the Valley for their return and asking for the passage of a bill in Parliament to recognise their “genocide”.
When asked about the demands of the displaced Kashmiri Pandits, Abdullah remarked that he had assured them that the government would construct houses for them and provide the necessary support.
He added that after the fall of his government, it was in the Central government’s hands to implement the proposal.
He noted that the community would first need to assess the situation, as many Kashmiri Pandits are now settled across different parts of the country.
“They have grown older; many are seeking medical treatment, and their children are studying in colleges, schools, and universities. They may visit, but I don’t think they will return to live there permanently,” he said.
Deputy chief minister Surinder Choudhary said NC president and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah have always supported the return and rehabilitation of the Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley.
“Kashmir is incomplete without Kashmiri Pandits. Their return will restore the brotherhood and hospitality,” he said, expressing hope that the Centre would make a decision soon on their return and rehabilitation.
General secretary of All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference (ASKPC), P K Raina, mentioned that the community has been waiting for justice for the last 36 years.
“We have assembled here to reiterate our demand for a policy that will pave the way for our dignified return and rehabilitation in our homeland. We also paid tributes to all those community members who lost their lives in terrorist attacks,” Raina said, leading one of the protests here.
“Centre must honour its promise on restoration of J&K’s statehood”
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday said the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been denied their due status as a full-fledged state and urged the centre to honour its promises on the restoration of statehood to the Union Territory.
He called upon the party cadre to decisively defeat the forces attempting to divide Jammu and Kashmir on “religious and regional lines”.
Addressing a two-day convention of the party’s block presidents here, he criticised the central government for delaying the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
“People of Jammu and Kashmir have been deprived of their due place among the country’s federation as a full-fledged state,” he said, urging the central government to rise up to its own promises both inside and outside of the Parliament on statehood restoration.
The former chief minister urged the people to continue raising their voices through democratic and constitutional means and to remain steadfast in safeguarding democratic institutions and values.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, cabinet ministers Sakina Itoo, Javed Rana and Javed Ahmad Dar, Rajya Sabha MP and additional General secretary Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan, Additional General Secretary Ajay Kumar Sadhotra, Provisional President Jammu Ratan Lal Gupta and MP Rajya Sabha Sajad Kichloo attended the meeting.
On Day 1, the convention focused on party affairs, organisational strengthening and the prevailing political situation in Jammu and Kashmir, a party spokesperson said.
“Jammu and Kashmir is currently passing through a critical and challenging phase that requires heightened political awareness, firm adherence to democratic values and strong unity among the people,” the NC president said.
He emphasised that his party has always remained the true voice of the people and has consistently fought for the protection of their rights, even during the most difficult and trying times.
The convention witnessed extensive deliberations on improving the quality of life of the people ensuring social justice, and reaffirming the National Conference’s historic and continuing role in shaping a peaceful, democratic, and secure future for Jammu and Kashmir, the spokesperson said.
He said senior party leaders reiterated that the party has a long and distinguished legacy of sacrifices in defense of democracy, secularism, and human rights.
Abdullah asserted that the objective of the National Conference is not merely the pursuit of political power, but the resolution of the genuine problems faced by the people.
Several senior leaders and party workers also addressed the convention, stressing the need for greater organisational cohesion and grassroots-level strengthening.
It was unanimously asserted that the National Conference remains the only party that genuinely represents all regions, religions and sections of Jammu and Kashmir, the spokesperson said.
‘Hindus-Muslim divide being created for electoral purposes’
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday flagged growing religious polarisation in the country, alleging that hate politics was being fuelled for electoral gains, and questioned who was responsible for spreading divisive narratives in Jammu.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a party function here, the former chief minister said the people in Jammu and Kashmir chose India over Pakistan in 1947 and have consistently fought against the neighbouring country, which continues to create disturbances in the region.
When asked about the heated debate surrounding a recent comment made by music maestro A R Rahman regarding a decline in work from Bollywood and suggesting it might be linked to a “communal issue”, Abdullah noted that a fire of hatred has emerged in the country over the past few years, deliberately dividing Hindus and Muslims for electoral purposes.
“What should we do in such a situation? This country belongs to everyone. India has always stood as an example of unity in diversity, where people of all religions live together,” he said.
However, he also mentioned that if some individuals choose to incite divisions in the name of religion, it becomes challenging to stop them, noting that such tendencies are not new.
He cited an example of protests in Jammu over the admission of Muslim students into the Vaishno Devi Medical College, which led to the withdrawal of the college’s permission letter.
“Who is responsible for spreading hatred in Jammu? Who is raising slogans to separate Jammu, and who is behind it?” he asked, in an apparent jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has supported the agitation seeking reservation of all seats at Mata Vaishno Devi medical college for Hindu students, with some of its leaders advocating statehood for Jammu.
About Pakistan, he said the neighbouring country will never give up doing mischief in the Valley.
“We have fought against Pakistan. If we wanted to go to Pakistan, we would have done so in 1947. We did not go to Pakistan; we stayed in India. We remained in Gandhi’s India,” Abdullah said.
The NC president, however, said that India of today is no longer the same as Gandhi’s India, and people now feel uncomfortable. “Who is fighting for religion? Who is building the temple for Gandhi’s murderer?” he asked.
Asked about the BJP’s civic poll victory in Maharashtra, he said that victory and defeat are part of the elections, and there is nothing new in it. “Why are you making it a big issue?” he questioned.
Abdullah is currently chairing a two-day conference of the party’s block presidents and secretaries of the Jammu region.
“Basically, we want to engage with the party leadership to discuss how the organisation can be strengthened, identify our shortcomings, and work out ways to address them. That is why we are holding this meeting.
“Our block presidents and block secretaries rarely get a chance to speak, so this conference has been organised to listen to their issues and resolve them,” he said.
He also expressed confidence that statehood to Jammu and Kashmir would be restored sooner or later.
