Mehbooba Mufti meets LG to press for Kashmiri Pandits' return
SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former J&K CM
Mehbooba Mufti
met Lt Governor Manoj Sinha Monday for the first time since abrogation of Article 370, handing him a memorandum for return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits.
She demanded 0.12 acres of land for every displaced Kashmiri pandit family willing to come back to their district of origin and replacement of the current two-member nomination system in J&K assembly for the community with two reserved constituencies where their representatives would be directly elected.
A 2020 Union home ministry document says 64,951 Kashmiri Pandit families have left the Valley. 'I met LG to discuss the return of Kashmiri pandits to the Valley with dignity and safety,' Mehbooba said after meeting Sinha at Raj Bhawan.
She justified meeting with Sinha instead of CM Omar Abdullah, saying the National Conference (NC) govt had failed to deliver despite having a majority. As another example, Mehbooba cited a resolution in the assembly against the Centre's Waqf law revisions that she claimed was 'sabotaged' by the Omar-led govt. The PDP chief claimed she had written to the CM on the issue of Pandits but he didn't respond.
Omar's party scoffed at the allegations and accused Mehbooba of 'getting close to BJP', which has long highlighted the plight of Pandits.
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'The issue of rehabilitation of Kashmiri pandits is not new. Why didn't she meet LG in the past five years?' NC spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq asked.
Mehbooba argued that the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri pandits was not only the responsibility of the elected govt but of other parties, too. 'It is a moral imperative and a societal responsibility to ensure that our Pandit brothers and sisters, who were tragically displaced from their homeland, are provided with the opportunity to return in a manner that is dignified, secure and sustainable,' the PDP chief said.
The memorandum handed to the LG had also been mailed to CM Omar and Union home minister Amit Shah, Mehbooba said. The return of Pandits is not merely a demographic or administrative concern but a matter of historical justice, reconciliation and restoration of Kashmir's pluralistic ethos.
According to the PDP chief, Pandit families whose original homes exist but are dilapidated or semi-damaged should be provided financial grants or interest-free loans for repairs. 'Reintegration must be both materially grounded and socially sustainable, requiring a multi-tiered and inclusive approach,' Mehbooba said.
The PDP chief said she also took with the LG the issue of Kashmiri political prisoners, who do not face any serious charges, and sought their release.
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