Return of the Native? --Present conditions in the Valley and some burning issues

Kanhaiya Lal Kaul

The displaced Kashmiri Pandit community was hounded out of the Valley in 1989-90, and forced to live a miserable life all these years of exile. They have never been heard by the State/Central governments, for redressal of their burning problems and to mitigate their sufferings The State Government has been putting forth the plea that things are returning to normal But this has not happened till now and the displaced community continues to suffer along with their families and children.

With the coming in power of the elected government in the State the authorities expected the situation to return to normal, even though the displaced community had its own apprehensions in this regard because of the continued grip of Gun Culture in the Valley. The government on its part tried to create make believe normal situation in the Valley, even though some families of the displaced community who had returned to their native place in Baramulla or elsewhere were forced to return again Even those people of the majority Muslim community who favoured election and voted were also not spared with the result, many of them had to flee to Jammu or elsewhere because of militants threat The State government went a step further and started threatening the displaced community employees with dismissal from their services, evacuation from camps and stoppage of relief to those living in camps and elsewhere This pressure tactics and threats of forced return of the displaced community resulted in the instant reaction from the militants, whose writ still prevails, by gunning down 8 innocent Kashmiri Pandits in Sangrampura in the Valley, who had chosen to stay back despite the turmoil in the Valley This massacre led to fresh exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, a situation similar to 1989-90, when selective killings of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley and threats by militants asking them to leave the Valley resulted in their mass exodus. Thus, the fear of displaced communities, becoming soft targets of militants in the Valley once again, is amply substantiated by the prevailing situations in the Valley. As if it was not enough, the militants struck at the winter Head Quarters of the government at Jammu, exploding bombs and killing many innocent persons, injuring several others. The protest demonstration at Jammu by displaced community against these developments, instead of opening the eyes of the government it countered the protesters with tear gas/lathi charge.

 

Under these circumstances, the government must awaken at least now, and concentrate all its efforts and energies to root out the militancy and address to our burning issues instead of using pressure or creating false sense of normalcy for the return of displaced community, which will not stay a day longer, when they perceive that the conducive conditions have returned in the Valley, and they can live there with their families, with dignity and honour, in their own homes and hearths . The return of conducive conditions among other things, shall be governed by the following .

Conducive Conditions

 

(1) When there is total elimination of gun culture and rooting out of militancy in the Valley .

(2) When the political leaders and their families no longer continue to move/live under heavy security cover.

(3) When the political leaders are able to interact with the masses freely fearlessly and address them at various places both rural and urban, including historic Lal Chowk without security fortification.

(4) When masses and semi government institutions, schools, colleges, post offices, banks, transporters and others, no longer respond to frequent Hartal calls of militants, including on 26th January/15th August, or visit of the Prime Minister of India to the Valley.

(5) When the District State/Central administration officers are able to interact with the people freely, without being lodged in the heavy security areas or escorted by heavily armed security personnel .

(6) When the security cardons search mopping up operations, bunkers are no longer needed and the strength of additionally deployed forces reduced to the pre 1989-90 period.

(7) When the renegades no longer fear for their lives and surrender all their arms and ammunition to the government.

(8) When the government rebuilds/renovates the burnt and damaged property of displaced people and also their temples, and restores/compensates for the looted property the details of which are already gathering dust in the office of Resident Commissioner, Delhi and Relief Commissioner, Jammu.

Once these conducive conditions are created in the Valley only then the government should talk of the return of the minority displaced community and come out with a proposal which could serve the interests of different categories of migrants, namely.

(1) Those who are in a position to return immediately .

(2) Those who are not in a position to return immediately, and

(3) Those who are not at all in a position to return permanently because of the family involvement constraints which have come up due to their forced exile of more than seven (7) years

Till the time such conditions are restored in the Valley, the government should show its real concern for the displaced community at least now and address all the burning issues that touch their vital interests, so that their sufferings are mitigated to some extent .

 

Burning Issues

 

The following burning issues, among other things need to be attended to immediately.

(1) Compensation claims of those killed fell prey to militancy.

(2) Compensation of burn looted damaged property

(3) Payment of dislocation allowance @ Rs 2,500/ per family per month

(4) Increase of relief to Rs 3,600/- with a minimum limit of Rs. 2,000/ per family per month .

(5) Addition of new borry fresh members on relief cards/tickets.

(6) Re-opening of registration for freshly displaced and for those who have not been registered since last 5 years

(7) Transfer of relief/pay from and to Jammu/Delhi in respect of genuinely needy individuals .

(8) Shifting of tent schools to morning or evening shifts in regular school buildings at Jammu.

(9) Affiliation of migrant/camp schools to Jammu University/Board for timely declaration of results and conducting of examinations.

(10) Reservation of seats in professional technical colleges for migrant students.

(11) Providing of government accommodation on nominal rent or long lease basis to interested people

(12) Grant of aid, loans to business class against property/unit left in the Valley/at nominal rate of interest.

(13) Grant of facilities to teh bazari people.

(14) Grant of HRA, CCA, promotion with financial benefits in exile for State Government employees .

(15) Declaration of displaced period as 'Zero Period for income tax payment purposes.

(16) Settlement of retirement/GPF/leave salary cases of retiring people promptly.

 

(17) Extension of widow pension (scheme) beyond six (6) years and till the displacement, on full rates.

(18) House building/purchase advance for interested people to have safe shelter for their families/children

(19) Govt lease/guarantee facilities for obtaining private accommodation on rent by displaced people to be

relieved of procedure of payment of heavy securities for the purpose

(20) Stopping all recoveries on account of house building/business/other advances/loans drawn in the Valley till the return of displaced people to the Valley.

DISCLAIMER: 

The views expressed in the Article above are Kanhaiya Lal Kaul’s personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing."

Courtesy: Kanhaiya Lal Kaul and September, 1997 Naad