Srinagar: At a time when the Bollywood film “The Kashmir Files”, based on the Kashimiri Pandits’ exodus in 1990s, is doing a fairly good business at the box office, it has also been blamed by one section of society for peddling the ruling party’s propaganda around the exodus of the Pandits.
Response to an RTI filed by Mr Prafful Sarda has shed light on the many major facts about the exodus, which gives clarity on the issue beyond the binary of right or left, and Hindu or Musilm.
Anandi Venkateswaran, Deputy Secretary (JK) & CPIO, responding to Mr Sarda’s question on how many Kashmiri Pandits left Jammu and Kashmir after 1990, did not give specific numbers of Pandits who fled the state but said a total of 64,827 migrant families left Jammu and Kashmir amid the militancy in 1990s.
“As per the information furnished by the Government of Jammu & Kashmir, a total of 64,827 migrant families left the erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir due to the onset of militancy in the 1990s,” the RTI response said.
In the letter, to the query of steps taken for the rehabilitation of the Kashmiri Pandits after 1990, the response stated that many measures have been undertaken including schemes like Monthly cash relief/ Dry ration to Kashmiri Pandits, Prime Minister’s Relief Package 2008, Prime Minister’s Development Package 2015 – were launched.
On the question about where have the Kashmiri Pandits migrated, the RTI response said: “As per the information furnished by the Government of Jammu & Kashmir, 44,837 registered migrants are settled in Jammu, 19,338 registered migrants in Delhi/NCR and total of 1,995 a registered migrants are settled in a few States/UTs in the country.”
Monthly cash relief/ Dry ration to Kashmiri Pandits Scheme:
Under this scheme, Rs.3,250/- per head with the ceiling of Rs. 13,000/- per family and monthly dry ration of 9 Kg Rice, 2 Kg Atta per head and 1 Kg Sugar per family are provided to the Kashmiri migrants.
Prime Minister’s Relief Package 2008:
Approval was given under this package to the Govt. of Jammu and Kashmir for creation of 3,000 State Government jobs to the migrants, out of which 2,905 posts have been filled.
Prime Minister’s Development Package 2015:
Approval was given to the Government of J&K for creation of 3,000 additional State Government jobs to the Kashmiri migrants at a cost of Rs. 1080 crores and for construction of 6,000 Transit Accommodations in the Kashmir Valley for the migrants who were provided jobs under PMRP-2008 and for those who are being provided jobs under PMDP-2015.
Decoding the response
Prafull Sarda, reacting on the response he received to his RTI application, told HW News: “Secular party as well as Hindutva party did not try to rehabilitate our very own Kashmiri pandits back into the valley for last 32 years.”
Kashmiri pandits have been forced to live in refugee camps, they are treated as refugee in their own country over the years, Mr Sarda stressed.
Questioning failures of earlier and current government in rehabilitation of Pandits, Mr Sarda asked if at all any Govt worked for Kashmiri pandits, their rights and rehabilitation, why it did not come before the nation?
Invoking recent killings of businessmen from the Pandit community, Mr Sarda said that several recent incidents raise question mark about their safety and security issue.
“BJP did join hands with with PDP but nothing worked for our very own Kashmiri pandits,” Mr Sarda highlighted.
He also questioned the government over lack of Jobs, education and other benefits to Pandits as Indian citizens.
Reacting on the RTI response on question of steps taken for rehabilitation of Pandits, Mr Sarda targeted the government over the mention of ration offered to pandits.
“How can family of 4 survive with just 1kg sugar and 2Kg atta ? Is this some kind of joke?” Mr Sarda asked.
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