Kundan Kashmiri
As the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly is set to begin its session from October 23 to October 31, 2025, the victimized Kashmiri Pandit community, the original inhabitants and indigenous people of Kashmir watches with deep pain, hope, and determination. This is not just another Assembly session; this must be a turning point. For 35 long years, the genocide, forced exodus, and ethnic cleansing of the Kashmiri Pandit community have remained unaddressed and unacknowledged by successive governments. The upcoming Assembly session must break this silence and face the truth with courage.
The J&K Government must officially accept that the Kashmiri Pandit community was the victim of genocide in the Kashmir Valley during the dark years of turmoil. Our centuries-old heritage, homes, lands, and temples were destroyed or snatched away. Our people were forcibly hounded out of their homes and hearths, forced to live as refugees in their own country. It is time to legally recognize this reality and grant indigenous status to the Kashmiri Pandits with all constitutional and legal rights that come with it.
We are not “migrants.” We are internally displaced persons who were uprooted by terror, threats, and violence. The state must correct this historical wrong and change the terminology officially in all records and legal frameworks.
The Distress Sale Act passed by the earlier National Conference government must be fully and practically implemented. Properties including houses, shops, orchards, and lands illegally grabbed or forcibly sold during our forced exile must be returned to their rightful owners or compensation to be paid at present market rate. The government cannot remain a silent spectator to this open loot of an entire community’s assets.
Equally crucial is the return of 18,000 government posts in the Valley which were left by KP community employees in valley after they were forcibly hounded out from Valley, illegally filled during Mufti and Abdullah regimes by their activists ,supporters and relatives. These jobs rightfully belonged to the displaced Kashmiri Pandits. This must be corrected immediately with strong legislative action.
The state must recommend a One Place Settlement at the land of Kashyap in valley, for displaced Kashmiri Pandits, preferably adjacent to Jammu and Kashmir border districts from Shopian, Kulgam, and Anantnag up to Kishtwar. This will ensure both security and cultural continuity of the community in their ancestors land of Kashyap.
Furthermore, the relief amount for KP relief holders must be enhanced substantially. Many displaced families live in miserable conditions in Jagti, Nagrota, Muthi, Purkoo camps and in rented accommodations, where they cannot even pay rent from their meager relief. The government must allot proper government accommodation to such families and ensure they live in dignity.
Adding to their miseries, these camps are facing severe water scarcity, forcing thousands of families to live without proper drinking water or sanitation. The quarters are leaking, damp, and in shabby condition, creating an environment of disease, dogs, discomfort, and humiliation. These problems must be rectified on priority, with proper maintenance, clean water supply, and restoration of living conditions in a humane and dignified manner. It is the minimum responsibility of the UT Government towards its displaced citizens of victim Kashmiri pandits.
Special central services with age relaxation of 5 years should be provided to displaced KP youth. Immediate steps must also be taken to address the long-pending issues of PM Package Employees, including their proper accommodation and security concerns.
This Assembly session must not be allowed to end without a full-fledged debate on the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits, their constitutional rights as indige.
Human Rights Activist & President, KPC |
