Realistically Speaking

This refersto ‘Pandits as pariah, legally’, (GK April 29). The crux of author’s narrativeis that the extirpated community of Kashmiri Pandits has lost the domicileright in Kashmir Valley in the wake of new Domicile Bill. He wants to providerationale for the consequences of ethnic cleansing of Kashmir Valley ofKashmiri Hindu minority community in 1990.

His logic isflawed. The reasons are

   

(a) all”migrant” Pandits including their family members possess State SubjectCertificate formally issued by state authority.

(b) All ofthem are formally registered with the Relief Commission of J&K Government

(c) Thetemporary ration card issued to the exiled Pandits by the State governmentauthority carries the description in Urdu on the front page as this “ArziRation Card: subah Kashmir se Jammu aye hue logon ke liye”.

Thisdocument contains explicit detail such as the name of the head of the family,parentage, place of residence in Kashmir (locality, tehsil and district),government employee or not, family members,  residence in Jammu – mohalla,zone, tehsil, etc. All of these details in respect of each “migrated” Panditfamily remain computerized with even the minutest detail like state subjectcertificates, affidavits, election cards etc. The ration card is properlysigned by the government authority with official seal and properly entered inofficial records with Ration Card number and Declaration Form number.

Notwithstandingthis plethora of documentary evidence, if the author feels that the newdomicile laws undo the  rights of KPs, and he has been magnanimous to harkback the deprivation to them, undoubtedly the Pandits will demand the Uniongovernment to rectify the flaw if any, and ensure the domicile rights of thePandits.

Apparently,the makers of new domicile law felt no need either to make a mention of KashmirValley Muslims or Hindus, Sikhs, Christians or any other religious denominationknowing they are state domiciles by birth.

Yes, theKashmiri Pandits were happy when special articles of Indian Constitution wereabrogated. People in Kashmir, irrespective of religion, having faith in democracyas the just political dispensation, are happy that they have been rescued fromthe clutches of communal, sectarian and parochial stranglehold. This is evidentfrom the fact that the grave of the tallest among Kashmir Valley leaders needsto be protected against the ravages of vandals.

As regardshistory of the origin of state subject law, vibrant nations think of presentand future and let the past remain in the backyard. The present of J&Kspeaks loudly that it is the ambivalent Kashmir leadership that dragged thestate to the abyss of dismemberment of its previous status. As regards future,if the valley leadership fails to read the writing on the wall, they will beonly precipitating separation of Jammu region and its rebirth as a new State ofthe Indian Union. That should not spring any surprise as it will be the logicalconclusion of the intransigence of outmoded Kashmir leadership.

Finally, asregards the domicile issue of the KP Diaspora, they will be covered by the samerules and procedures as will be applicable to the Valley Muslim Diaspora spreadout across the world.

Tailpiece

PDP-ledcoalition government granted state subject status to more than eighty thousandRohingiya Muslims of Myanmar, and settled them in Jammu region. They were issuedration cards, PRs, Aadhaar cards, banking facility, ration cards and perhapselection cards also, all in flagrant violation of the then existing statesubject law. Compare this with the treatment meted out by the State governmentto the West Pakistan and PoK refugees in Jammu for last seven decades. Thecoalition government settled the Muslim from Myanmar in Jammu but not inKashmir region. The motive of doing so was clear; it wanted to impact thedemographic complexion of Jammu. Who trampled Article 370 and 35-A under thefoot, PDP or Amit Shah?

Leave a Reply

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

17 + 14 =