From The President's Desk Koshur Samachar April-May 1995

Niranjan Nath Kaul Ex President Kashmiri Samiti Delhi

Dear Sisters and Brothers

I am addressing a few words to the members of the Kashmiri Pandit Community in Delhi with a sense of pleasure, of course mingled with a sense of trepidation.

I harbour a sense of pleasure for the fact that the members of the Samiti have afforded me with yet another chance to serve the cause so dear to the community. The unanimity of the mandate was a rare expression of solidarity enabling me, and also gearing me up to meet the challenges that stare the Community in the face.

The out-going Executive Committee ably guided by the out-going President, Shri H.N Nehru, has done excellent work. But, the community in crisis is faced with tremendous challenges and hence renewed efforts to meet them with guts have to be put in to bring relief and succour to the community on cross-roads.

The feeling of trepidation emanates from an under-current of anxiety to be able to fulfil the trust that the community has reposed in me and the members of the Executive.

As is well-known, our Community is passing through troubled times. We are in a dark alley, dismayed and despairing, left uncared for, verging on extinction. But what is heartening is that the Community is resilient and has developed a tough fibre through the vicissitudes of history and that is how the challenges are to be met forcefully. We may be disheartened, but we are not down.

The burden of my tenure in the Samiti would be to organise and arrange for direct and tangible assistance to the displaced community in general, wherever the members have sought shelter and refuge. Those living in Delhi will receive our main attention. All legitimate difficulties being faced by them will be taken up with the concerned authorities for redressal The Samiti will extend all manner of help to the members of the Community:

1. To secure admission of eligible scholars to well established educational institutions- both professional and academic.

2. To secure jobs for unemployed educated youth.

3. To aid their educational processes by providing them financial assistance.

Considering the unabated price rise due to inflationary pressures, the incomes of the migrants, being already meagre, are also stagnant. They have been affected adversely, especially those with limited means to cope up with day to day exigencies. It is widely felt that the stipend provided by Govt. Agencies or NGOs is not only ridiculously low, it is very insufficient for MIGRANT FAMILIES to tide over this difficult period with dignity The EXECUTIVE will take up the matter with the concerned authorities so that the meagre stipend is revised upwards and the grievance redressed.

Due to urgent need for funds elsewhere for obvious reasons, the maintenance of the Kashmir Bhawan Estate was accorded low priority. Now the Bhawan is showing signs of cracking and ageing and it becomes, therefore, imperative to attend to the up-keep of the Bhawan building Repair and renovation of the Bhawan building will not brook any further delay. In this context the task of the Executive would be to attend to the task of general repairs to it and look for ways and means to increase many-fold the capacity of the Bhawan many-fold by adding a few more storeys to the existing structure. A full-fledged AUDITORIUM is a base of modern life. Our endeavour would be to see this dream come true. Thus the need of making the KASHMIR BHAWAN ESTATE a self-sufficient complex for the Community and other activities is urgent.

The Official Organ of the Samiti and mouth-piece of Kashmiris, "KOSHUR SAMACHAR" has come a long way since its inception about 30 years ago. But unfortunately the fortunes of SAMACHAR have not improved. The subscribed readership has not shown any significant rise. It is rather stagnant. No decent MAGAZINE/Journal can run without funds or with insufficient funds. Funds can be raised from the community members by way of advertisements to the Magazine and donations. By every means the EXECUTIVE will make concerned efforts to improve the fortunes of the SAMACHAR to make it a self-sufficient unit and create a Trust to take care of the mounting expenditure:

These are some of the tasks which the new Executive will have to complete with satisfaction.

SUGGESTIONS IN THIS BEHALF ARE WELCOME.

I cannot but conclude by delving a bit into the past. Kashmiris in general and Kashmiri Samiti in particular, have overcome great hurdles in the past and literally fought against the tide. We have built what at present are the institutions of "Kashmiri Samiti'' and "Koshur Samachar." We have to develop the principle of self-reliance which will give us the ability to cope with the future. At present future is in our hands and very soon if will go into younger hands. Let us join hands together and leave something worth-while behind.

Also, we will be doing each other a great deal of good if we stop finding fault where no faults lie; seize opportunities and look to positive factors; there is no need to suffer from any complexes.

Yours Sincerely,

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Courtesy: Niranjan Nath Kaul Ex President KSD and April-May 1995 Koshur Samachar