 Early Times Report
JAMMU, June 10: Panun Kashmir today held an important preparatory meeting at the Ram Shaiv (Trika) Ashram, Naseeb Nagar, Jammu, to finalize arrangements for the observance of International Refugee Day on 20 June 2026 at 10:00 AM at Invitation Hall, Roop Nagar, Jammu.
The meeting was convened by Shri Bebooji Zutshi, Coordinator Jammu, Panun Kashmir, and jointly chaired by Dr. Agnishekhar, Convenor, Panun Kashmir, and Prof. Tito Ganju, Chairman, Panun Kashmir.
At the outset, the participants paid rich tributes to noted scholar, thinker and cultural icon Dr. Shashi Shekhar Toshkhani. The speakers recalled his immense contribution to the preservation and promotion of Kashmir's civilizational, literary and intellectual heritage. They observed that Dr. Toshkhani remained a steadfast voice of scholarship and cultural memory whose work shall continue to inspire generations in the struggle for preserving Kashmir's indigenous ethos.
The meeting also expressed deep concern over the recent statement of the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir suggesting that the common people of Kashmir were not responsible for what happened to the Kashmiri Pandit community. The participants observed that while individual accountability may vary, the genocide, ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of the community cannot be detached from the larger atmosphere of intimidation, social sanction, silence and complicity that enabled the exodus. The meeting reiterated that any attempt to dilute historical truth or reduce the genocide to an unfortunate episode undermines both justice and reconciliation with history.
Speaking on the significance of International Refugee Day, Bebooji Zutshi stated that the observance is a solemn reminder that the exile of Kashmiri Hindus remains unresolved despite the passage of more than three and a half decades. He appealed to the community to participate in large numbers and reaffirm its commitment to the struggle for justice and dignified rehabilitation.
B.L. Kaul, Organising Secretary, emphasized that International Refugee Day offers an opportunity to place before the nation and the international community the continuing plight of displaced Kashmiri Hindus. He stressed the need for sustained organizational efforts to ensure that the refugee dimension of the community's tragedy remains visible in public discourse.
Kuldeep Raina, General Secretary, observed that memory is not merely a recollection of the past but a responsibility towards the future. He stated that preserving the narrative of displacement is essential to resisting denial and historical distortion.
Pyare Lal Kaul Badgami, Chief Advisor of the Advisory Committee, remarked that the struggle of Kashmiri Hindus transcends the question of relief and rehabilitation and is fundamentally linked to the restoration of civilizational and national rights in their homeland. He underlined the importance of preserving historical truth through collective remembrance.
Sanjay Raina, Vice Chairman, stated that refugeehood must not be allowed to become a permanent condition for future generations. He called upon the community to strengthen its collective resolve towards achieving a durable and honourable resolution. |
