Pvt Member Bill on Kashmiri Pandits brings parties together

A private member resolution on displaced Kashmiri Pandits in Lok Sabha on Friday brought together different parties, which unanimously pushed for their early return to the Valley while voicing concern over their pitiable conditions even 25 years after their migration due to terror.

Members from parties such as BJD, BJP and Trinamool Congress unanimously condemned the pro-Pakistan elements for bringing about “ethnic cleansing” of minority Hindus from Kashmir Valley and asserted that the government should take strong steps to counter such attempts.

The members, while participating in the debate on the resolution ‘Immediate Steps for Rehabilitation and Welfare of Displaced Persons from Kashmir’, also sent out a message to Pakistan, saying the fate of J&K is non-negotiable as it is an “example” of how a Muslim-majority state can be a part of India. A resolution was unanimously adopted later.

Congress members were not present as they were boycotting the House in demand for apology from BJP member Virendra Singh for certain remarks against Rahul Gandhi.

During the debate, there were demands that the government should withdraw security to separatist leaders while making efforts to identify “saner” elements in the majority Muslim community of Kashmir for consultations to facilitate return of the displaced people to “Kashmiriyat”.

However, members were divided over Article 370, which grants special status to J&K, with those from the BJP pushing for scrapping it, while some cautioning against such a step Participating in the debate, B Mahtab of BJD described as “criminal” the fact that Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave the Valley because of terrorism beginning 1990 and only one family has returned despite the successive governments making plans and spending lot of money.