AIKS Demands concrete CBM’S for the minorities of Kashmir
All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS) held a broad based and extensive meeting on the prevailing anti-minority wave in Kashmir on Sunday, 24th October 2021 titled Kashmiri Pandits – Way forward in the wake of minority killings in Kashmir in Constitution Club New Delhi. The meeting was presided over by its President Dr. Ramesh Raina. Dr. Archana Kokroo , President KOA was the Chief Guest on the occasion and Lt. Gen Atta Hasnain, Aman Sinha, Ashok Bhan, Dileep Mattoo of JKVM and Utpal Koul of GKPD were Guests of Honour. The meeting began with a two minute silence in memory of those who fell to the bullets of blood thirsty monsters in recent spate of killings. The proceedings began with the felicitation of KOA President Dr. Archana Kokroo by the AIKS President Dr. Ramesh Raina, M. L. Malla and Prof Sudhir Sopory by presenting her a traditional stole and a flower bouquet. It was her maiden visit to India after taking over as President of prestigious overseas organization, the KOA.
To set the ball rolling for the debate President Dr. Ramesh Raina said in his welcome address that the phenomenon of selective minority killings has had an uninterrupted continuity for the past 31 years since the religious extremism and terrorism took over the centre stage in the Kashmir valley; while adding that the recent spate of killings has a larger design as it has widened its ambit beyond KPs and brought non- Kashmiri Hindus and Sikhs of the valley within its target range. Strongly condemning the recent target killings of the minorities in the valley, Dr. Raina urged the Government of the Union Territory to strengthen the security of all the people who are vulnerable and sitting ducks for the Pakistan-sponsored and trigger happy terrorists in the valley. He also made a strong pitch for the inclusion of all the Kashmiri Pandit organisations as important stake holders in any decision making process and demanded concrete CBMs as a way forward to act as a great reassurance to all the residual Kashmiri Pandits living presently in Kashmir who have stayed put in the valley even during the worst phase of uprising.
Lt. Gen Atta Husnain, in his address strongly condemned the recent spate of killings of the innocent people in the valley. He said, our security forces are fully equipped to deal with the aggressors and India will not let the perpetrators from across the border to succeed in their nefarious designs. He condemned the innocent killings of the minority people and urged the Govt. of the UT and at the Centre to strengthen the security of the vulnerable minorities in the valley.
Supreme Court Advocate Aman Sinha expressed his strong disapproval of the recent target killings and that no civilized society, howsoever tolerant it might be, will accept it. He reassured that the whole nation has taken a serious note of it and both union government and state administration have taken tough and pro active steps to stem this residual rot.
Ashok Bhan called this a continued genocide of the Kashmiri Hindus for the last three decades which has now been extended to other minority communities. He reiterated that KPs are the aborigines and that they constitute an important core of a distinct Kashmiri cultural ethos which has a continuity of thousands of years reflected in its written history and age old rituals and customs cherished till date by the community in exile as a rich heritage. He emphasized the need for creating a conducive environment for the minorities to live in peace.
Dr. Archana Kokroo in her address said overseas KP organisations, be that USA, UK or Europe lost no time in lodging protests in our respective countries against such target killings of minorities and our KP brethren in order to bring before the global audience the brutal face of Islamic jihad which has been targeting from time to time the hapless minorities in Kashmir. She demanded that global regulatory body the UN must take note of nefarious activities by its member countries sponsoring trans-border terrorism take stern action against them and global comity of nations should shun such nations by treating them as political pariah. Not only this our organisations are preparing for a better coordinated follow up of the efforts, should there be a repeat of such dastardly acts in future.
Daleep Mattoo of Jammu Kashmir Vichar Manch gave vent to his deep sense of anxiety at the new wave of targeted minority killing spree in Kashmir, which he pointed out found expression at larger community level in the strong pitched protests and marches in Delhi and elsewhere. He condemned such gruesome acts of terror aided and abetted from across the Border, he demanded immediate beefing up of the security of the vulnerable people in the valley and a better living climate for them.
Shri Utpal Kaul of Global Kashmir Pandit Diaspora unequivocally demanded creating of conducive environment for the Kashmiri displaced people to return to the valley. Condemning the recent spate of killings, he said the designs of Pakistan to derail the democratic system in the Union Territory will never succeed and India will defeat their nefarious designs.
Prof. Sudhir Sopory, President, Kashmiri Sewak Samaj, Faridabad, in his Expression of Gratitude, thanked the distinguished speakers for their views and support for the suffering minorities in the valley. He emphasized on the need for a collective and united approach to fight the enemies of the united India.
(Puran Patwari)
General Secretary
