AIKS DEMANDS CREATION OF A LEGITIMATE MINORITY SPACE FOR DISPLACED COMMUNITY AND HEALING TOUCH POLICY FOR KP’s IN KASHMIR
AIKS held one day interactive session with community leaders and prominent members in Jammu on September 17, 2022 (Saturday) at Hotel Savoy, Residency Road Extn., Jammu. The meet was aimed at getting a pulse where the community issues and matters stand visa vis new and altered political and administrative developments in the valley in the wake of changed political perspective post abrogation of Article 370 and 35- A on August 5, 2019.
The marathon exercise of meeting of minds and convergence of ideas in order to finding solutions becomes all the more imperative in view of recent select target killings of our community members and a continued sense of fear and insecurity among the PM package employees and Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir and other allied issues.
The meeting presided over by AIKS president Dr. Ramesh Raina was attended by a large number of elected representatives of KP organizations, community thought leaders and members from all walks of life from all across Jammu, called in one voice for redressal of the core concerns of the displaced community which includes steps towards concrete and meaningful CBMs. In the backdrop of one day AIKS community meet, organized by the AIKS following points were discussed:
• Selected target killing of valley segment of KP’s
• Healing touch policy for PM package employees and valley segment of Kashmiri Pandits
• Minority status
• The temples and shrines bill
• Hike in monthly cash assistance
• Delimitation commission report
In the backdrop of above- mentioned community interaction at above given day and date and in the light of the issues in particular the constant fear and apprehensions , recurrent target killings of KPs and PM package employees AIKS held a press conference on Sept 18, 2022 at Press Club Jammu near exhibition ground to share with the press the discussions and deliberations arrived at the meeting. Besides AIKS President Dr. Ramesh Raina, the press conference was addressed by Sh. M.L. Malla, Sh. Sunil Koul, Sh. A.K. Raina, Mrs. Nancy Ganjoo, Dr. Manorama Bakshi and Mrs. Alka Lahori and attended by a large number of prominent community members and thought leaders.
Dr. Ramesh Raina, President AIKS in his opening remarks said that KPs are firmly unanimous in returning to their millennia old habitat and inclined to contribute to the resurrection of benign and harmonious culture of Kashmir. The Pandits attach, he added, significance to the ideology of a secular democratic philosophy of the Indian nation state as the only arrangement that ensures freedom of expression and opportunity of development.
In the light of selected targeted killings of the valley segment of Kashmiri Pandits and their continued threat perception and resultant sense of insecurity among PM Package employees which is forcing them to live in constant fear of reprisal attacks from anti KP forces and jehadi elements which has touched off almost another wave of exodus among these left over KPs and pushing the PM package employees to almost abandoning their jobs.
There is a need for taking concrete and tangible measures to restore their faith in the system. He also emphasised that Kashmir has made several deliberate lapses and departures with respect to Minority Rights and space. The pluralist vision and diverse character of Indian constitution and state charter stands frozen and negated through sustained and uninterrupted marginalisation of its minorities especially displaced Kashmiri Pandits .The Press meet demanded
1. Creation of a legitimate minority space for the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community
2.Healing touch policy for the valley based Kashmiri pandits and PM package employees, who should also be taken into confidence for the redressal of their just and legitimate demands
3. This meet also seeks an institutional mechanism to coordinate with the Kashmiri Pandit representatives for the effective implementation of their just demands and to deal with any other exigency should it happen.
4. Passage of Temples and Shine bill
5. Hike in monthly cash relief
Vinod K. Pandita
AIKS Joint Secretary (Media and Communication)
