Latest news with #KashmiriPandits
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- General
- The Hindu
Farooq, Mehbooba, Karra join Pandit devotees at the Mata Kheer Bhawani temple in Kashmir
Prominent Jammu and Kashmir leaders, including Farooq Abdullah of the National Conference (NC), Mehbooba Mufti of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Tariq Hameed Karra of the Congress, on Tuesday joined hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits in paying obeisance at the Mata Kheer Bhawani temple on the occasion of Jyeshta Ashtami, amid the sense of unease and fear that was spread by the recent Pahalgam terror attack. Dr. Abdullah, accompanied by his senior party colleagues, drove to Ganderbal district in central Kashmir in the morning, and joined devotees at the temple. 'We took the blessings of Mata Kheer Bhawani. We are living in harmony; we will be living in harmony. We sent a message of happiness,' the NC president said. Mingling with the Pandit devotees, mainly those who fled the Kashmir Valley in the face of militancy in the 1990s, Dr. Abdullah prayed that the Kheer Bhawani Mela (fair) turn out to be a 'starting point for displaced brothers and sisters to return and settle down in Kashmir again'. 'Land and houses should be provided to Kashmiri Pandits. The government and the Centre should do the needful for their peaceful return. The situation is not the same as when former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ensured employment for thousands of Kashmiri Pandits by offering them government jobs in Kashmir for their peaceful return,' Dr. Abdullah said. Claiming that there was a sense of fear among devotees visiting the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu after the recent India-Pakistan military confrontation, Dr. Abdullah appealed to people to visit the shrine. 'Don't fear. Visit the shrine,' he said. Ms. Mufti too joined the Pandit devotees in the visit to the shrine, and extended her wishes to the community on the occasion. She also paid floral tributes at the Kheer Bhawani temple pond, which is considered an auspicious ritual by the Pandit community. 'The PDP has always believed that guns or military interventions are not the solution. There should be a political process, that process cannot be completed until our Kashmiri Pandit brothers and sisters return with due respect and settle here,' the former J&K CM said. She said Kashmiri Pandits were an essential part of Kashmir. 'Pandits should return to Kashmir with dignity. They are an integral part of Kashmir. They have stakes in Kashmir,' Ms. Mufti said. Mr. Karra said the mela was 'a reflection of communal harmony, despite attempts to divide'. 'All communities stand united here. It is a reflection of the fact that Mahatma Gandhi also saw a ray of hope in Kashmir at the time of the Partition. Our [late] Prime Minister Manmohan Singh created a package that can still help in resolving the issues of Pandits, and ensuring their dignified return,' Mr. Karra said. The Kheer Bhawani Mela is the first major Hindu festival to take place in the Valley after the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, which left 26 civilians dead. The incident has cast its shadow on the fair, evident in the thin attendance when compared with 2024. J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, however, termed the gathering a good omen. 'Devotees have come in large numbers to attend the Kheer Bhawani Mela. This is a good sign. This is the first time after April 22 that such a crowd has gathered at a place,' Mr. Sinha said. He said all the preparations for the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, which beings on July 3, were complete. 'Security arrangements have also been finalised. I appeal to devotees from across the country to come and take Baba's (Lord Shiva's) blessings,' Mr. Sinha added. Meanwhile, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, in a statement said an interfaith dialogue 'must evolve into a moral movement rooted in justice — because peace without justice is just a pause, no more'. 'I urged faith leaders to rise above nationalism, protect diversity, and uphold the moral duty of the majorities towards the minorities. From Palestine to Kashmir, only justice, dialogue, and mutual respect can bring lasting peace, and end human suffering,' he said.
News18
5 hours ago
- Business
- News18
Mehbooba Mufti Bats For Kashmiri Pandits' Return With 'Inclusive And Phased Roadmap'
Last Updated: Mehbooba called on J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha at the Raj Bhawan in her first one-on-one meeting with the L-G in about five years Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has advocated the reservation of assembly seats and free land for Kashmiri Pandits to facilitate their dignified return to the Valley. Her remarks are being seen as a potential thaw in her relations with the BJP-led central government. Mehbooba called on lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha at the Raj Bhawan in her first one-on-one meeting with the L-G in about five years and submitted an 'inclusive and phased roadmap" to facilitate 'meaningful progress" on the front. The Peoples Democratic Party chief also submitted copies of the proposal to union home minister Amit Shah and chief minister Omar Abdullah. Quoting data from the Relief Office established by the government of Jammu and Kashmir in 1990, Mehbooba said 44,167 migrant families were officially registered as having fled the Valley due to security reasons in the 1990s. Of these, about 90 per cent (39,782) families were of Kashmiri Pandits. By 2020, the ministry of home Affairs said that the number of displaced Kashmiri Pandit families had risen to 64,951. In her proposal, Mehbooba said every displaced Kashmiri Pandit family should be allotted half a kanal (one kanal is 505.87 sq mt) of state land in their district of origin, contingent upon their willingness to return. 'This issue goes beyond politics and touches the very core of our collective conscience. 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," she said in the letter. 'The shared pain of their displacement and the yearning for reconciliation bind us all in the belief that Kashmir can once again be a place where communities coexist peacefully. To facilitate meaningful progress on this front, an inclusive and phased roadmap has been attached for your consideration," she said. Mehbooba said such gestures would cleanse the majority Muslim community of the taint that they had not tried hard enough to prevent the Pandits' forced migration in the 1990s. Most of the Pandit exodus took place while her father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, was union home minister. (With agency inputs)
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- General
- The Hindu
J&K L-G sacks three govt. employees day after Mehbooba's plea for political initiatives
J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday (June 3, 2025) approved the terminations of three more Government employees for their alleged anti-national activities in Kashmir under provisions of Article 311, which does not require departmental inquiry. The terminated employees were identified as Malik Ishfaq Naseer, a police constable from Anantnag district; Ajaz Ahmed, a school teacher from Poonch district; and Waseem Ahmad Khan, a junior assistant at the Government Medical College, Srinagar, who is a resident of Srinagar's Batamaloo area. 'Whereas, the Lieutenant Governor (LG) is satisfied after considering the facts and circumstances of the case and on the basis of the information available, that the activities of Malik Ishfaq Naseer, Senior Constable in Jammu and Kashmir Police Department, are such as to warrant his dismissal from service. Accordingly, the LG hereby dismisses Naseer from service, with immediate effect,' reads one of the three orders. According to officials, the terminated employees were at present lodged in jails. Security agencies accuse the terminated employees of having links with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen. They are accused of ferrying weapons for terrorists and provide logistic support to terrorists in J&K. The termination came just a day after former J&K Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti called on Mr. Sinha at the Raj Bhawan in Srinagar and stressed the need to initiate political processes, besides the issue of return of Kashmiri Pandits to the valley. Ms. Mufti had also urged release of jailed youths on the occasion of the upcoming Id ul Azha. More than 75 employees have been sacked since amended provisions of Article 311 were introduced in 2020 in J&K. All these employees, according to reports prepared by the security agencies, were allegedly involved in anti-national activities in J&K. 'In the days leading up to the sacred occasion of Eid three government employees have been terminated over alleged links to terrorism leaving their families in distress. Since 2019 hundreds of employees have been summarily dismissed without even a trial solely based on unproven allegations of so-called terror affiliations,' Ms. Mufti said. She said while this iron fist approach may create a facade of normalcy 'genuine sustainable peace can't be achieved by inflicting suffering on people'. 'Unfortunately, the elected government watches completely unmoved like a mute bystander,' she added. Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq termed the dismissals as 'inhuman and arbitrary'. 'Invoking a law that can't be challenged, this is despotism. It's the duty of the elected government to stand up to this injustice being periodically meted out to Kashmiri's by dismissing them in such manner and safeguard their rights,' the Mirwaiz said. J&K Peoples Conference (JKPC) chief Sajad Lone also criticised the L-G administration's policy of terminating employees. 'The termination of government employees is unfortunate. Time has come to stop this whole practice or retribution. This termination concept has been going on for decades. It has not helped in the past. It will not help in the future,' Mr. Lone said.
NDTV
9 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Hundreds Of Kashmiri Pandits Gather At Annual J&K Mela Under Tight Security
Srinagar: Hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits have gathered at Tulmulla in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal district to participate in the annual Kheer Bhawani Mela, an age-old festival symbolising Kashmir's rich cultural and spiritual heritage. Despite a weather advisory and security concerns after the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, faith has brought the Kashmiri pandits back to their roots for the annual reunion that follows over three decades of separation and displacement. After the outbreak of terrorist attacks in 1990, thousands of Pandit families had migrated from the Valley to Jammu and other parts of the country. Official records show over 64,000 Kashmiri Pandit families are living outside Kashmir Valley - among them 43,000 in migrant camps in Jammu and over 19,000 in Delhi.' Dedicated to Goddess Ragnya Devi, the Kheer Bhawani Mela is one of the largest Hindu gatherings in the Valley, second only to the Amarnath Yatra. For many years, local Muslims looked after her temple located in the middle of a spring, where devotees offer milk and rice pudding. Kashmiri Pandits believe that the water at the spring shrine changes colour and it can foretell the future. If the colour of the water changes back, it's considered a bad omen. "The Mela is a symbol of communal harmony. All arrangements here have been made by local Muslims. Despite efforts to sow discord between the two communities, no one could break this centuries-old bond," said a Kashmiri Pandit leading prayers at the spring shrine. Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the Mela. Hundreds of Jammu and Kashmir police and CRPF personnel have been deployed in and around the temple. All roads leading to Kheer Bhawani have been sanitised to ensure a hassle-free moment for the devotees. Lt Governor Manoj Sinha visited the shrine today and offered prayers. Recently, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had also visited Tulmulla and reviewed preparations for the Mela.
United News of India
10 hours ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Amid tight security, Kashmiri Pandits gather at Tulmulla Ganderbal
Srinagar, June 3 (UNI) A large number of Kashmiri Pandits gathered at Tulmulla in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal district on Tuesday to participate in the annual Kheer Bhawani Mela, officials said. This year's celebration comes in the aftermath of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 25 tourists and a local. The attack has cast a shadow over the turnout at the festival, held at the revered Kheer Bhawani temple located around 27 km from Srinagar. The mela is among the most significant religious events for the Kashmiri Pandit community. Last year, over 25,000 devotees visited the temple to pay their respects. While this year's participation has been affected by security concerns, a considerable number of devotees still made their way to the shrine, with the air resonating with the chanting of hymns and the ringing of temple bells. To ensure the smooth and safe conduct of the festival, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has put in place elaborate arrangements. Officials said a heavy deployment of Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel has been made in and around the temple premises. All approach roads to the shrine have been fully sanitised, officials said. Several political leaders have greeted the people on Mela Kheer Bhawani. UNI MJR PRS
