New Delhi, Sept 14 (KNS): A prominent Kashmiri Pandit body on Monday demanded a comprehensive and time-bound Return, Rehabilitation and Restitution Roadmap from the Government of India, asserting that "37 years of exile is too long" and the time has come to transform the community's longing to return into a national policy of action.
The Kashmir Policy & Strategy Group, chaired by noted senior advocate Ashok Bhan, made the demand during a web meeting held on the eve of Kashmiri Pandit Balidan Divas, according to a statement issued here.
The meeting paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the community who were killed by terrorists, alleging they were subjected to "genocide" that led to the eviction and forced exile of the entire community from its ancestral roots in the Valley.
The participants recalled the "enormous human and civilisational cost" of 37 years of exile—death, destruction, demographic dislocation and a rupture in the community's unique heritage and culture.
'Not a displaced community'
The meeting emphatically affirmed that Kashmiri Pandits have an existential stake in Kashmir, asserting they are not a displaced community seeking a new homeland but an indigenous people whose civilisational roots in the Valley extend back more than five thousand years.
Their temples, traditions, scholarship, language, literature and cultural memory are inseparable from Kashmir's civilisational identity, the participants said, adding that without the physical presence of its indigenous Pandit community, Kashmir's civilisation and composite character will remain incomplete and lasting peace will continue to elude the region.
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They stressed that the return of Kashmiri Pandits is not merely a question of rehabilitation or resettlement but one of "historical justice, dignity, identity and restoration."
Demand for roadmap
The meeting urged the Centre to formulate the roadmap in meaningful consultation with representative community organisations. It must guarantee security, facilitate voluntary and dignified return, address property restitution, provide housing and livelihood opportunities, protect temples and cultural heritage, and ensure that returning families have a meaningful stake in the social and economic life of Kashmir.
The participants also called for a clearly time-bound implementation framework with measurable targets, dedicated institutional responsibility and periodic public review.
The meeting was attended by eminent intellectuals, former bureaucrats, academicians, media personalities, social and women's rights activists, past and current representatives of apex community organisations, overseas diaspora representatives and youth icons.
Kashmiri Pandits belong to Kashmir. Kashmir belongs to its composite civilisational heritage.
Our resolve is unequivocal: We shall return—to our roots, to our homeland, and with dignity. (KNS)
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