| Kashmiri Pandits in Exile: 36 years on, rehabilitation efforts still underway | | |  Sri Krishen Kaw
The Kashmiri Pandit community has been an integral part of the Kashmir Valley’s cultural and social fabric for centuries. However, with the rise of militancy in the 1990s, thousands of Pandit families were forced to flee their homes and take shelter in other parts of India and today it is the 36th Hollocaust day of KP community.The governments at Centre as well as Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir should come out with a healthy package of schemes to accommodate Kashmiri Pandit migrants on a developmental path for their brighter future.
According to official estimates, over 44,000 Kashmiri Pandit families were registered as migrants in 1990 when their migration started followed by the arms struggle initiated by the Pakistan backed Kashmiri militants.It is very irony that one generation of this community has come to an end by now whereas the current generation of 1990s is at the verge extinction and the future generation of this exiled community has been scattered in different parts of country and abroad in search of employment and education.
The Kashmiri Pandit community has been facing a crisis since the 1990s, when thousands of families were forced to migrate from the Kashmir Valley due to militancy and violence. Despite various efforts by the government to rehabilitate them, the community still faces numerous challenges.
Though the Indian government has launched several initiatives to rehabilitate Kashmiri Pandits, including the Prime Minister’s Employment Package and the Rehabilitation Council. In 2009, the government announced a package of Rs. 1,618.40 crore for the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants. The package includes housing, transit accommodation, continuation of cash relief, student scholarships, and employment opportunities.
Despite these efforts, the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits remains a challenging task. Many migrants have expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s efforts, citing inadequate housing, lack of security, and limited employment opportunities. The community has also demanded one time settlement of the migrant KPs as a whole along with construction of satellite colonies within the valley.
The current status of Kashmiri Pandits is the government has made some progress in implementing rehabilitation schemes. For instance, out of the 6,000 transit accommodations planned in the Kashmir Valley, work on 5,160 has begun, and 3,120 have been completed. However, much remains to be done to address the community’s concerns and ensure their safe return to the Valley.
In conclusion, the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits is a complex issue that requires a sustained effort from the government and other stakeholders. While some progress has been made, much more needs to be done to address the community’s concerns and ensure their safe return to the Valley. |
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