KPSS questions stance of separatists

Questioning the stance of separatists on the return of Kashmir pandits to the valley, Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti (KPSS) Thursday said they have no moral standing on the issue being the “prime offenders” against the minority community.
“The separatists propose and oppose the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley in a single breath. Separatists have no say in the return of Kashmiri Pandits as on moral grounds they are in no position to intervene in this issue being the prime offenders of the crimes done against the minority community,” President KPSS, Sanjay K. Tickoo said in a statement.
All the major separatist outfits have called for protests on Friday and shutdown on Saturday against the reported plans of creating separate settlements for pandits by the state government on the directions of the central government.
“The very same militant commanders who ordered killing of the members of minority community in Kashmir Valley are using their current political platforms for inviting Kashmiri Pandits to return and that too on the conditions laid by them only,” he said.
Referring to the Amarnath land transfer agitation of 2008, Tickoo said the same separatist groups created havoc in Kashmir over the land transfer to a religious institution (Shri Amarnath Shrine Board) of the minorities and right now it is the same issue.
“In 2008 it was about the belief and right now it is about the believer.”
He said KPSS feels that the situation is being deliberately compromised in such a way that the policies which are safe guarding the religious minorities in Kashmir Valley including return and rehabilitation could be put on hold.
“KPSS wants to question all these separatists; why Kashmiri Pandits were killed from 1st of June 1990 till 30th October 1990 when majority of pandits were forced to leave the Valley. Till date not a single demand of inquiry was made from the separatists about it. How can they feel our pain while staying back in the valley?”
“It must clear to one to all that it is our immediate neighbor or friends within the majority community that still we feel safe enough to be in the valley but we are not staying back on the mercy of any political parties, any government or any separatist,” he added.
President KPSS said the state and central government must make a select committee of Kashmiri Pandits living in the valley and task them with the work of resettlement of migrant Pandits.
“As Kashmiri Pandits who stayed behind have a better understanding of the policies and the politics of this region and all the other sensitive and insensitive issues of this province. Be more specific make it a time bound project so that polices of the government could be implemented as soon as possible.”
Tickoo said the select committee will submit its report back by the stipulated time for the government to take action on that. “Rather than spending money on the bureaucratic way of working create a human approach.”