Will redouble efforts to bring Pandits back to Kashmir: Farooq Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said Kashmiri Pandit community is an essential part of the cultural milieu of Kashmir and the  need of the hour is to defeat the vested interests  that are hell bent  to  fashion the wedge between two communities.

Addressing a delegation of Kashmiri Pandits at his Srinagarresidence, the Party president said Pandits are part and parcel of Kashmiriculture.

   

“We as a society are incomplete without our Kashmiri Panditbrethren. The community has traditionally been known for its penchant forlearning, writing and other endowments. Notwithstanding the turbulence of the past few decades, the culturalequation of brotherhood and camaraderie stand as strong as it had been fordecades,” Abdullah said. “There are some vested interests that drive theirsustenance by propagating animosity and mistrust. I can understand the agony ofKashmiri Pandits living away from their motherland, but Kashmiri Muslims havebeen equally unfortunate because of the conflict that snatched thousands of ouryouth during this period.”

While underscoring the need to forge unity Abdullah said theMuslims of Kashmir have always gone out of their way to help the Kashmiripandit brethren in their difficulties.

“Be it Amarnath Yatra or any other festive occasion, KashmirMuslims have always lent all sort of assistance and support to their panditbrethren. The equation between the two communities has always been a thorn inthe eyes of those who don’t want us to live in unity, because it hurts theirinterests,” Abdullah said.  “It isencouraging to see that vast majority of the Kashmiri pandit community wants tolive alongside with their Muslim brethren in the valley, rejecting thedestructive and divisive ideology of those few who want to divide the state oncommunal lines.”

He further added: “Whole of Kashmir belongs to Kashmiripandits as it is to Kashmiri Muslims. Both I firmly believe are the rightfulowners of this land. We have been trying our level best to bring back thecommunity to valley. Many effective employment schemes were doled out duringthe Omar Abdullah led government to help the community to settle back inKashmir”.

However, Abdullah said, the successive BJP-PDP governmentwas not able to carry forward the momentum of the good work done until 2014.”For last few years we have only been hearing useless slogan mongering andfanfare. Nothing substantial was done in that direction. However once in powerwe will rejuvenate the efforts of bringing them back to their homes withdignity.”

Earlier party president visited the Asaar e Sharief ShahriKalash pora where he prayed for peace and property of the state.

Party president also paid a visit to Ganderbal to expresscondolences with the family of late Zafar Ahmad Bhat son of  Ex MLA Maqbool Ahmad Bhat. It is pertinent tomention here that Zafar Ahmad had lost his life in an accident the other day.Party president offered Fateh for the deceased and expressed unity with thefamily in their hour of grief.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

eighteen + two =