New Delhi: It has been almost a month since the government was formed in Jammu and Kashmir after almost a decade but Kashmiri Pandits are still wondering if they will be able to return to their native place ever.
On October 16, National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah was sworn in as Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister, bringing hope in the minds of Kashmiris who were eagerly waiting for an elected government including Kashmiri Pandits who are still waiting for their return for the past 35 years.
But following government formation, the region is now witnessing a sudden spate of attacks including on non-locals which has created a huge concern for the security apparatus.
The Kashmiri Pandits were forced to flee the Valley in the 1990s due to an upsurge of terrorism in the region. Several of them settled in various parts of the country, leaving behind their belongings and properties.
According to a few reports, there have been talks between the Centre and the union territory government on the return of Kashmiri Pandits but nothing official has been announced.
Kashmiri Pandits now feel that successive governments both at the Centre and in J&K have failed to address their grievances and have been using them as a political tool to consolidate votes.
Talking to The Sunday Guardian, Dr Ramesh Raina, a representative of Kashmiri Pandits and the former President of All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS) fears the environment is not conducive for their return citing multiple reasons.
“Post the elections in Jammu Kashmir, the situation has changed drastically. There has been a huge uptick in the terror attacks and we are also seeing how these terrorists are selectively targeting migrant workers. In this situation, it is extremely difficult for the return of Kashmiri Pandits” he said.
He also said that “Islamic radicalisation” and “hybrid terrorism” had a huge role in aiding such attacks and argued that the government needed to clearly define whether they wanted to talk about the “rehabilitation” of Kashmiri Pandits or their “return” to the valley.
He further added that “the alleged plan between the Centre and the UTfor our return is a lie as nothing official has come up. Unless there is a blueprint, we are not believing in anything till then.”
Similarly, Sushil Pandit, who is a campaigner for the repatriation of Kashmiri Pandits said that until the government recognised their experience as “genocide” and punished the culprits who did genocidal acts against Kashmiri Pandits, it would be hard for them to return.
“Those who committed heinous crimes against us are still alive and living a free life. Until they are punished for their genocidal acts and for crime against humanity, how can anyone expect us to return? We want to return with dignity and we need security. Now when attacks are happening every day, how is it possible for us to return?” he asked.
On August 5, 2019, the Kashmiri Pandits celebrated the abrogation of Article 370 in the hope that it would pave the way for their long-awaited return to the Valley.
In the last few years, although nearly 4,000 Pandits have returned, taking up government jobs under a special Central package and living in guarded accommodations but things haven’t improved much on the ground.
The spate of targeted killings has created panic amongst the Kashmir Pandits and in the last five years, nearly seven KPs have lost their lives in such terror attacks.
Now with the return of the NC-Congress coalition government, political discussions on the return of Pandits to the Valley have reignited but only time will tell whether Kashmiri Pandits will be able to return to their homes during this tenure.