National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday said that displaced Kashmiri Pandits are always welcome to return to their homeland, asserting that the Valley is as much their home as anyone else’s. However, he expressed doubts about the practicality of their permanent return, considering that many have established new lives across different parts of the country.
His remarks came on January 19, observed by the displaced community as ‘Holocaust Day’, marking their exodus from the Valley in 1990 following threats and killings by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a two-day party programme, Abdullah pointed out that several Kashmiri Pandit families never left Kashmir and continue to live peacefully in their villages and localities.
“When will they return? Who is stopping them? No one is preventing them. They should come back because it is their home,” he said, adding that many members of the community are already living in the Valley without any obstruction.
Commenting on the protests by Kashmiri Pandits under the banner of ‘Youth 4 Panun Kashmir’, who blocked the Jammu-Srinagar national highway near the Jagti camp demanding a separate homeland and parliamentary recognition of their genocide, Abdullah said he had earlier assured them of housing and necessary support.
He stated that after the fall of his government, the responsibility to implement such proposals rested with the Central government. Abdullah also observed that the displaced community would have to assess the present situation realistically, as many Pandits are now settled in other states.
“They have grown older, many require medical treatment, and their children are studying or working outside. They may visit Kashmir, but I do not think many will return to live there permanently,” he added.
