Seeking cooperation of the Pandit community in rebuilding Kashmir after the devastating floods, president of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Mehbooba Mufti today said that this community has immensely contributed in the past in emancipation of Kashmir society and it is time for their return to their homes with honour and dignity.According to a statement issued to KNS Addressing meetings of Kashmiri Pandits at Paloura, Purkhoo and Jagti areas, Mehbooba Mufti said that Kashmir has once again faced with a devastation of vast scale, though this time it is result of the nature’s wrath but it compounds the problem left behind by the horrible events of 1990s which had forced large number of people, including mainly Pandits, to leave their homes and hearths.She said that established potential that the Kashmir Pandit community has displayed and employed in emancipation of the society in the past is once again required to face the new situation.
She said that in the shape of PDP and its leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed a platform has been established for democratic participation of all communities, identities and regions to pool their energies together for building a new Jammu and Kashmir.
She said that her party’s focus is on building bridges between communities and uniting them for the welfare of everybody rather than emotionally exploiting one community or other for political survival. “We have enough bitterness and misgivings between us along community and sectarian lines but our coming generation has to work on our strong bonds of amity that have defined Kashmir through age”, she added.
She further said Pandit community has made its marks wherever it was forced to settle down because of conditions back home but it is also a fact that Kashmir always remains their motherland which is calling them back in the hour of crisis.She said that it is compulsion of our time that new generation has to speak of employment and growth opportunity all over the world irrespective of their religious backing. But like our other youngster from Kashmir, who work throughout the country and even beyond, the younger Kashmiri Pandit generation too has to have its moorings in Mauj Kasheer, she added Responding to the memorandum submitted to her by the Kashmiri Pandits, she said that while she would use her good offices for fulfillment of these demands, her dreams for the community go beyond these demands.
She said that Pandits have to be stakeholder in formulating and implementing every plan that would be needed for moulding a new welfare state where everybody feel secured and empowered.Thanking for over-whelming support of Pandit community in the recently held Lok Sabha elections to her and her party colleagues, PDP president said, “Your support has been of immense value in giving our party a greater acceptability among the people of all the regions of the State”.She said her party, if given a mandate to govern the state, would carry forward the pragmatic policies to bring back the migrants to the Valley without any hype that unfortunately marked in agenda of other parties without any result on the ground. She recalled that it was during the tenure of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as Chief Minister of the State that the lasting measures like establishing residential units at major places of worship like Tulmulla and Mattan and a colony at Sheikpura in Budgam were taken.
Similarly a process of recruiting candidates from migrant community as special category was started during PDP led government. “It is of immense satisfaction that the young boys and girls of the community serving the people with distinction by keeping up the tradition of their ancestors in the field of education, she said.PDP president further said that it was also a fact that most the young people stay in private homes as family guests, rather than in protected clusters which is a pointer to the goodwill that exists between the communities and survived all negative propaganda and turmoil.She said that we have to revive the old and traditional bonding between communities around these younger people and to increase their socio-economic stakes with the Valley to see the Kashmir and the entire state return to its old glory.
Earlier a memorandum was submitted in the PDP president by Kashmiri Pandit community. In the memorandum community demanded representation to Kashmiri Pandits in both the Houses, abolition of cumbersome process of ‘M’ forms for voting, steps be taken to minimize the unemployment problem of Kashmiri Pandit youth, regularization of Anganwari workers/ S.P.O's belonging to the Migrant Community, Representation to K.P youth in Rehbar-e-Taleem, Rehbar-e.Ziraat schemes, minority status to Kashmiri Pandit community, release of balance ex-gratia relief for burnt houses and shops during Militancy period, enhancement of relief etc.Yuvraj Vikramaditya, Dr. Sameer Koul, MLAs A R Veeri, Rafi Ahmad Mir, Peerzad Mansoor Hussain also addressed the gatherings. President of Mahila Wing & Former MLA Shanti Devi, Sr leader and candidate for Jammu West, Dhaman Bhasin, Chairman of Migrant Cell Ramesh Koul, A K Sidha, Sunil Bhat, S K Raina, R K Pardesi, M K Bhat, Sunil Bali and others were present on the occasion. (KNS)