SRINAGAR, Sept 18: Tens of thousands of Kashmiri Pandits left their ancestral homes in droves 23 years ago when insurgency broke out in the Muslim-majority state. While some made their way to Delhi and other parts of the country, thousands of them live in the state’s winter capital, Jammu.
Now, encouraged by peace, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said his government is making plans to help them return home.
“My government would do whatever possible to facilitate return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants as they are an integral part of the society in the valley,” Omar told an Apex Advisory Committee meeting of Kashmir migrants.
Omar said his government has already recommended enhancement of cash assistance to the migrant families from present ceiling of 5000 rupees to 10000 rupees a family every month to the union government.
The Chief Minister also approved conversion of 588 one room tenements at Purkhoo in two-room dwelling units to accommodate equal number of most deserving and needy migrant families.
‘All possible help’
Most of the Pandits who fled Kashmir have sold their homes, officials say.
Omar asked the government to identify land to set up community housing projects and offered construction of 160 shops for the unemployed Pandits.
“Need for construction of such shops at other places where migrants are residing in two room tenements should also be ascertained and proposal formulated accordingly,” he added.
Authorities say the situation in the conflict-ridden state has improved as armed violence has declined since India and Pakistan launched a peace process in 2004.
Few years ago, prime minister Manmohan Singh announced a rehabilitation package, including jobs, to woo the families back to the valley. However it largely failed as only a few have returned.
Against 6000 posts, only 1,446 youth opted for jobs in four years, according to data by the revenue department. And moreover, they haven’t brought their families along.
Now, the chief minister has announced a relaxation in the upper age limit for these jobs by three years; as a one time exception to encourage more of them to opt for the posts promised in the PM’s package.
‘Harmony’
From the 13th century, when Islam became a majority religion in Kashmir, Muslims lived side-by-side with Pandits.
Kashmiri separatists have repeatedly urged Pandits to return to Kashmir where more than 50,000 people have died in the revolt, but have urged them to live alongwith the majority community rather than in “security zones”.
