The Kashmiri Pandit Conference (KPC) and its allied organizations unequivocally reject and condemn the recent demands put forth by the All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS), Global Kashmiri Pandit Diaspora (GKPD), and Vichar Manch as highlighted in their press communiqué dated September 2, 2024. These demands, which seek clarity and a so-called “road map” from the mainstream political parties of Kashmir regarding the return and rehabilitation of the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community, are not only misguided but also highly objectionable.
We strongly denounce the approach of AIKS, GKPD, and Vichar Manch in seeking assurances from those very political entities who bear the responsibility for our community’s devastation. These are the same forces that stood by, complicit or silent, as the horrors of our forced exodus unfolded. To now ask them to determine our future is an insult to the collective memory of the Kashmiri Pandits, who have endured unimaginable suffering, loss, and trauma since the onset of the turmoil in the Kashmir Valley.
KPC, alongside like-minded organizations, stands unwavering in our commitment to a just and rightful solution for our displaced community. We categorically state that the only acceptable road map for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits is our resettlement at a **single consolidated location** within the Kashmir Valley, preferably near the borders of Jammu. This demand is not just a matter of convenience but of survival, dignity, and safety for a community that has been systematically uprooted from its homeland. We reject any notion of returning to our previous scattered locations in the Valley, as these areas remain fraught with insecurity and the painful memories of our persecution.
Furthermore, we vehemently oppose the demand for the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission as suggested by AIKS, GKPD, and Vichar Manch. Such a proposal not only dilutes the gravity of our plight but also seeks to equate the victims with the perpetrators, thereby distorting the narrative of our suffering.
Instead, KPC and its allies demand the immediate passage of a “Genocide Bill” in Parliament, which would formally recognize and address the ethnic cleansing and forced exodus of the Kashmiri Pandit community. This bill must be accompanied by a robust judicial probe into the countless atrocities inflicted upon our community, including the deaths, destruction, looting, and arson that occurred during the dark days of the turmoil starting in 1989-90. The truth of our ethnic cleansing must be brought to light, and justice must be served to those who orchestrated and enabled our persecution.Besides rehabilitation bill for the Kashmiri Pandit to be brought in the parliament and passed at the earliest as per the wishes of Kashmiri Pandits.
The Kashmiri Pandit community, through the KPC and its like-minded organizations, stands united and resolute in our demand for a rightful and secure one place settlement in the Kashmir Valley. Our struggle will continue until we achieve our goal of a consolidated, dignified, and safe resettlement.
[Kundan Kashmiri]
Community Sevak & President, Kashmiri Pandit Conference (KPC)
Email: kundankashmiri@gmail.com
Mobile:880 2167955
