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*Yajin Bhatt

he recent announcements made by the J&K govt. of so called relief and rehabilitation plan for Kashmiri Pandit’s (KPs) has caused confusion among the members of this displaced community as it makes amelioration of the economic distress, subject to the condition of their return to the Kashmir valley. KP’s have been suffering for a long time after their forced exodus from the valley and the much flaunted PM’s Package has not come too soon. For about two decades govt. at centre and state has not cared to address the problems looming over them. It is only recently that the centre seems to have woken from its slumber of ignorance to their plight and come out with some measures to alleviate their sufferings.

The economic package announced recently has the nature of too little and too late, with more than a lakh unemployed youths in the KP community as on date, the govt. has pointed out the six thousand jobs will be provided to the displaced people out of which 3000 to be funded by the central govt. and remaining by the state govt. the state govt. already dragging its feet on the issue by declaring that it can’t provide these jobs with the fare of resentment and backlash from Kashmiri Muslims. The proposal of recruitment of unemployment KP’s was welcome but with the kind of conditions which the offer entails like asking the prospective job seekers to serve in the valley and not to claim the right of transfer to other place out side the valley for 15 years at a stretch, besides making it incumbent upon them to take their families along. It appears the central govt. is more interested in luring the pandits back to the valley than in providing them with any real relief, because forcing the jobseekers to the different parts of the valley is surely laden with the grave risk to their lives.

One serious and genuine question here arises that why the state govt. embarked upon the same policy on return which resulted in bloody backlash massacres at Sangrampura, Nandigram and Vandihama in the recent past? During the still more recent violent acts where in LeT man kept on tenterhooks 600 Kashmiri civilians. They remained entrapped for hours in the buildings near the places were armed terrorists had hold up them selves. The victims survived the ordeal but for the quick action by the security forces, which the state chief minister is hell-bent to remove from the valley. The valley incidents are not safe for the KPs. According to official sources more than a 1000 Pak trained terrorists are based in the valley. Four months ago dead bodies of two women near the shopian area were found causing turbulences in the entire valley. No action was taken against the murderers. Leaders of the different parties shouting from their house tops for the reduction of security forces, do not dare to move out a step in the valley unless their security is guarded by the security personal. In such a prevailing tempestuous atmosphere a proposal is being handed over to the KPs to come and work in the valley. But who will guarantee their security of life and honor.

It is but for sure that till now all the rehabilitation programs initiated by UPA at Delhi, be it construction of 5000 single room sets or the recent economic package is nothing but an effort to sugarcoat the actual proportions of the Kashmir tragedy of which the KP’s are worst hit victims the govt. be it at centre or state are of the perception that once the KP’s accept the offer and start returning back to the valley, their temporary migrant registration would be cancelled by the govt. so that they forfeit any claim in the future. Secondly the govt. wants to shift their attentions towards Kashmiri Muslims to woo them with more bounties after offering peanuts to the KP’s. at this juncture, somehow pushing a segment of displaced Kashmiri Hindus back to the valley by allurement or coercion, the govt. wants to impart a secular legitimacy to the separatist cause with the aim of clinching a deal with them regarding the solution of Kashmir issue. It will also help them to make the solution like autonomy or self rule palatable to the rest of India.

Although every kashmiri Hindu estimates the whole relief and rehabilitation process nothing but a mockery of their legitimate rights. Unfortunately, some people who have no means to live a standard life might think of accepting the offer to get some instant money which would eventually end up in not only sealing their future but also rest of the community which has been fighting for the last two decades for their dignified return and concrete rehabilitation package. The KP youths feels alienated because the terrorists who laid down arms after killing thousands is not only given a govt. job but also monitory help in the name of bringing the misguided youths to main stream. Contrary to this India should be indebted to KP community because they have never reciprocated fanaticism with fanaticism and violence with violence. In spite of repeated rejection of coexistence by Muslim society for the last 300 years, KPs have not given up faith in these values. With the central govt. more inclined towards appeasing the separatist’s element in the state KPs now want a clear cut policy in the return and also resolved to impress upon the govt. of India to take the community leadership into confidence before coming up with any economic or other such rehabilitation packages. Any attempt to force them back to the valley will be nothing but a futile exercise. Instead govt. of India must look for some possible and permanent rehabilitation program for KP’s and all the other Hindus displaced fro the border areas. At the same time the govt. of India must consider the plight of Jammuites as to how long will they uphold their Samaritan nature towards the so called migrants? Govt. of India must identify some separate land area out side the valley for permanent rehabilitation of these displaces Hindus from this state.

*Rajesh T Bhatt (freelancer), a Kashmir valley resident from Anantnag, Education: Post graduate in computer Science, working with Telecom sector for last 8 years. Father retired from defence services. Presently living in Delhi with his family.

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