Kashmiri Hindus will converge in Pune

Thousands of Kashmiri Hindus will come together in Pune on Sunday evening for a massive rally under the “Ek Bharat Abhiyaan”. Over 8,000 to 10,000 Kashmiri Pandits are expected to march for seeking dignified “ghar-wapasi” for them. The community will also demand formation of a small Union Territory within Jammu and Kashmir where Article 370 will not be applicable. This rally will be held at the Raman baug ground at 5.30 pm on Sunday. Before that, the Kashmiri Pandits will spread awareness in over 20 states about the issues faced by them. The Pune rally will be a part of the 60-rally programme undertaken by Panun Kashmir organisation with the support of 25 socio-religious organisations. The last rally will be held in Jammu on 19 January next year when the community will commemorate the 26th year of Kashmiri Hindu exodus day.

“It is important to support the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Hindus in Kashmir. This is a sign of our belief in secularism. If we fail to do that, we may be giving up to factional forces. The entire country needs to get aware of this community’s displacement. It has to stand strongly by them in pressurising the government for their rehabilitation,” said Ramesh Shinde, national spokesperson of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti.

“Panun Kashmir is the geopolitical aspiration of 70,000 Kashmiri Hindus. There has been genocide there on the basis of religion. During all our past seven exodus, we were denied our rights by the Kashmiri Muslims,” said Rahul Kaul, national co-ordinator for Panun Kashmir. He demanded that the Kashmiri Hindus be rehabilitated in 100 days at a place in Jammu which will be centrally administered. “Let there be a Union Territory in J&K. At that place, everybody should be free to come over and settle. There should be no discrimination. Article 370 should not exist there,” he said.

Hari Om, convenor of Jammu for India, said there was need for change in the language of the discourse. “People keep on saying, Kashmir is a problem. Let me stand up and say, Kashmir is not a problem. There is a problem in Kashmir. And that problem is called jihad,” he said.