KPS Should Return When They Are Guaranteed Security

Kundan Kashmiri

Return and rehabilitation in Kashmir Valley is an important issue which needs a wider debate, discussion within all KP organisations as well as consultations with all displaced people, in particular with those who actually have to return to the Valley to reside and resettle there. But this exercise carries no weight till the unanswered question of KPs' exodus is cleared and KPS come to know the reason for which they were punished, for no fault of theirs. Besides, we should get confirmation whether the virus, which was responsible for their exodus, has died or is lying low.

Meetings and conferences by the organisations of our community, participation of its organisational activists and some like-minded people as well as well- wishers to resolve about the return of displaced KPS to townships, previous locations, consolidated places of the homeland or Kayshap Homeland, will not deliver its results, under the present circumstances, when every organisation of our community carnes ahead its own hypothesis for the same, unmindful of its meaning, actuality and results, generating wrong signals to Kashmir watchers at national and international levels, having far reaching ramifications on our community. Hence, it is important to have a joint decision and consensus to go ahead with the issue.

Return and rehabilitation of displaced KPs in the Valley, also, involves politically wider and serious consideration of national and international importance, while keeping in view the internationally-recognized conflict between India and Pakistan over Kashmir, Political demands of so- called mainstream organisations and separatists of the Valley, like autonomy, self-rule, Azadi etc., mood and temper of the people of Kashmir Valley, day-to-day militancy-related incidents in the Valley, Kashmir-centric Pak policies treating Kashmir as their lifeline, appeasement and weaker policies of the Indian Government towards Kashmir and Kashmiri fundamentalists and non- seriousness towards KPS and their political and other demands are to be kept in view. Hence, these important points need to be pondered before initiating any step towards the return move of the community, while keeping in mind that it was not only the gun which forced KPS to leave their homes and hearths.

Secondly, the Kashmir issue is under serious debate and discussion through track-11 diplomacy as well as through Foreign Ministry and Foreign Secretary-level talks. Both the countries seem to be serious in settling this issue by reaching an agreement, to give autonomy or self-rule or to implement the Musharraf formula. But meaningful rehabilitation of Kashmiri displaced Pundits in the Valley on their demand of Homeland / Kashyap Home land is one of the obstacles for them to finalise this agreement. Hence, to reach this agreement sooner or later, by choice or force between the two countries, politicians, running polity of the Indian nation as well as some so-called main- stream organisational leaders and others of the Valley, want to take some displaced KP families back either to their previous locations or to townships with the aim of making themselves comfortable to debate and discuss on the agreement, so as to reach some logical conclusion between India, Pakistan and separatists of the Valley, ignoring the main demand of consolidated rehabilitation of KPS in the Valley in the land of Kashyap, with complete writ and free flow of the Indian Constitution. Their another aim is to get freed from the liability and constant burden of relief and other migrant- related expenditure by doing this exercise. Hence, we will have to jointly and strategically think as to how to face this challenge and defeat these anti-KP forces

To elaborate and analyse it further if the Government of India decides to grant autonomy or self- rule to Kashmir which would revert Indian laws, institutions, writ of the Indian Constitution, control of Army and paramilitary forces and would bring new laws to be framed by the Kashmir Government, can the Kashmiri Pandit community live in these townships or at previous locations in the Valley. "Definitely not till you treat yourself true nationalists of the Indian Nation".

Under the present circumstances, if we analyse and assess whether Muslims of the Valley, which include fundamentalists and others, are really sincere and ready to except KPS back to settle in these townships or previous locations and also allow KPs to avail all fundamental rights as it is very necessary for an ethnically- cleansed minority to have a quantum of goodwill of the majority community, particularly on their return than what the security forces in and around them can do. Chances for the same seem to be bleak in view of their previous role as well as their activities in which they remained involved for the last 22 years.

To further analyse and assess whether the Government of J&K is really sincere towards the KP community to restore all their rights, and privileges, means for settlement and development and can this Government provide fool-proof security under all circumstances. Certainly not, as all this has been fully experienced by us in the past and also by keeping in mind that when KPs had 7% of total population in the Kashmir province in 1947 at the time of the state's accession to the Indian Union, but owing to discriminatory policies of successive regimes in J&K, a good percentage of KP's was forced to leave the Valley to seek livelihood in the rest of India.

If we will further analyse whether KP youths in general are ready to reside and resettle in the Valley under various arrangements, in view of the present circumstances, and situation, the answer may be negative. A consensus over this issue by our younger generation is the need of the hour.

No doubt at particular townships or at previous locations, houses would be constructed to our liking, but not a home socially viable, environmentally fit to our longevity of a disease-free life.

We must not go off the deep, make hurry and act foolishly which would turn our community again to live a nomadic existence, will again he forced for job hunting, hankering after relief and turn the community again like beggars. No doubt, Kashmiri Pandits have to ultimately return to the Valley, but this return will not be an ordinary one. It will be return of an ethnically-cleansed minority, it will be return of indigenous people to their birth place, it will be return of a religious minority; which has been prosecuted by the majority community. It will be return of a community abandoned by the democratically-elected government. It will be return of the community portrayed by the Indian state as its secularist model in Kashmir. Therefore, KPs return and rehabilitation has to be in clear-cut terms and conditions. "There seems nothing wrong, in the light of these circumstances, if the displaced KPS is to be rehabilitated consolidated with complete writ of the Indian Constitution at the land of Kayshap", which has been time and again demanded by the KPC, its supporters and followers. To achieve this goal, we all have to work together unitedly and also have to be ready to give sacrifices for the same.

KPC does not believe in fake and false return which could prove suicidal for the community.

(The writer is the National President of the KPC).

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Courtesy: Kundan Kashmiri and April 2012, Koshur Samachar