Committed to bring back Kashmiri Pandits: J&K CM
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said the PDP-BJP government was committed to bringing back Kashmiri Pandits and other migrants to the Valley.
“Kashmiri Pandits will come back and live happily here and so will other migrants, it’s our commitment,” she said.
She added that the government would set up “transit accommodations for Pandits till they feel safe to return to their original places of residence”.
“They have been out of the state for last 25 years, some of them don’t even remember their own addresses, so how is it possible for them to feel safe and return to their original homes,” she said.
She added that the construction of transit accommodation was part of recommendations made by the Prime Minister’s Working Group, formed in 2005 and includes migrant Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs.
She clarified that the colonies will be composite in nature with 50% reservation for Kashmiri Pandits.
“This is a facility for migrants. Don’t we have Muslim migrants? Don’t we have migrants in Jammu? There are Sikhs and other people among them? If we are saying 50 per cent will be Kashmiri Pandits and the rest others, you are saying it is Israel-like situation,” she added. Drawing an analogy with the political workers who have left their native places for fear, she said.
Mehbooba expressed happiness that all political parties be it mainstream or separatist are on the same page regarding return of the pandits.
The chief minister said she needs pandit community to fill in the gaps in various fields.