December 28, 2015:
Displaced KPs continue to fight for their right to return, led by the group’s NGOs to choose to return to a “Separate homeland”.
On December 28, 1991, KPs first raised their demand for a “distinct homeland” within the Kashmir Valley, from which they were forcibly evicted in 1989/90, the new homeland to be called “Pannun (our) Kashmir” to be governed by a centrally-administered (Delhi government) territory under the Indian Constitution. December 28 has come to be observed as the ‘Homeland Day’ among this community when the ‘Margdarshan Resolution’ was passed in 1991.
Pannun Kashmir, a civil society movement representing this community has lately promoted this idea through ‘Kashmiri Youth Conference’, with its nodes in many part of the globe, known as the ‘Friends of Pannun Kashmir Overseas’. NGO has mobilized the youth in solidarity in many parts of Europe and ask the community to “engage people and politicians in dialogues even with whom they disagree”.
The NGO has also been voicing its opinion to set up a tribunal to probe into the violence responsible for the eviction of this community, labeled by the group a ‘genocide’ and an ‘ethnic cleansing’ of this community.
Dr. Sudha Rajput
Professor: ‘Refugee and IDP Issues Analysis’
School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University
Consultant/Trainer (USAID) Bahri University, Khartoum, Sudan
Book Chapter: “Internal Displacement of Kashmiri Pandits” in State, Society, and Minorities in South and Southeast Asia.
World Bank (Ret.)
Link to the full story
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/jammu-kashmir/kps-hold-youth-conference-reaffirm-demand-for-homeland/175935.html
December 16, 2013:
KP Based NGOs continue to stress the following issues:
(1) encroachment on lands belonging to temples and shrines in the Valley.
(2) importance of incorporating Confidence Building Measures into return policies.
(3) Removal of upper-age limit on jobs made available to returning families
(4) Coordination of KPs NGOs to represent one voice
See details at:
http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=821187
Sudha Rajput: June 5, 2013, 7:00 pm
Policies and the displaced KPs:
During the period 2013-2013, the state gov of Jammu & Kashmir disbursed Rs. 44.77 lakhs for the relief of the displace KPs.
How does this translate with the return of the families, oddly enough per official records from the Ministry of State for Home Affairs, only one 1 family has returned to the Valley and around 4,522 displaced persons still remain in various camps of Jammu.
Understandably, a comprehensive package of Rs1618.40 crore was announced by India’s PM in April 2008 for return and rehabilitation of the families, this was to include assistance towards housing, transit accommodation, employment and continuation of cash relief.
Original source: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/1831700/report-only-one-kashmiri-pandit-family-returned-to-valley-govt
Tuesday, May 7, 2013, New Delhi | Agency: PTI
1 comment
What is happening to the comprehensive package which was announced by our P.M in 2008??.
Why can’t we all who are directly and indirectly concerned with the internal displacement of this community ask for help in medical services for all the community members who need it at this stage. Let Govt. only reimburse the interest part of the comprehensive package for all medical cases which are appearing within the community. This will help in saving the precious lives of this endangered community.