Khan Feroz CNI

It is with deep anguish, grave concern, and a heavy heart that the Kashmiri Pandit Conference (KPC) draws the urgent attention of the Government of India, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Lieutenant Governor’s administration of Jammu and Kashmir towards the alarming delay in the release of monthly relief for the Displaced Kashmiri Pandit relief holders in Jammu. As of April 15, 2025, this relief—the only means of survival for thousands of families—has still not been credited into their accounts.

This delay is not merely a technical or bureaucratic lapse. It is a direct assault on the daily lives and dignity of thousands of already victimized and marginalized individuals who were forced to flee their homes in Kashmir more than three decades ago. These relief holders, many of whom are elderly, infirm, widowed, or single parents, are entirely dependent on this small monthly relief to meet their basic household needs—food, transportation, medicines, school fees, and other bare necessities.

This relief amount is not a luxury. It is their lifeline.

Without this monthly assistance, the situation for most of these families has become dire. Reports pouring in from various migrant colonies and tenement clusters reveal heartbreaking stories of children sleeping on empty stomachs, students unable to attend schools due to lack of bus or matador fare, and sick individuals unable to purchase life-saving medicines. The specter of starvation-like conditions is no longer an exaggeration but a looming reality.

Is it not the moral and constitutional duty of the Government to ensure timely help to its own displaced citizens, who were forced into exile purely because they chose to remain Indians in the face of separatist terrorism?

The Kashmiri Pandit Conference (KPC) firmly believes that such casualness and apathy towards the displaced relief holders of Jammu is unacceptable and intolerable. The rigidity and carelessness of the concerned departments, if continued, will not only cause irreparable harm to these families but will also reflect poorly on the human sensitivity and governance standards of the administration.

We urge the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, the Hon’ble Home Minister, and the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir to intervene immediately and personally to ensure that the monthly relief amount is released within the next 48 hours—without any further delay or excuse.

We also demand a long-term mechanism to guarantee timely disbursal of monthly relief in the first week of every month, failing which those responsible should be held accountable.

Let it be remembered—Relief delayed is survival denied. And denying survival to a persecuted, peace-loving, nationalist community like the displaced Kashmiri Pandits is not just inhumane—it is unconscionable.

We appeal to the media, civil society, and every conscientious citizen of India to raise their voice for these voiceless victims—for this is not just about relief, it is about human rights, justice, and the right to live with dignity.

[Kundan Kashmiri]
President, Kashmiri Pandit Conference (KPC)Email:kundankashmiri@gmail.com
Mobile: 8802167955