Srinagar, May 22: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has expressed concern over the registration of an FIR against Kashmiri Pandit activists protesting against the implementation of the NFSA in relation to relief and ration benefits for the displaced migrant families.
In a statement here, Mehbooba said the concerns being raised by the Kashmiri Pandit community stem from “genuine anxieties” about their distinct identity and status as displaced migrants, something that has been acknowledged by successive governments over the years.
She said that after decades of displacement, “uncertainty and trauma”, the community deserves empathy and engagement rather than criminalisation for voicing its fears and grievances.
Reacting to reports of police action against the protesters, the PDP chief said the increasing tendency to respond to dissent with FIRs and intimidation is deeply worrying and reflects an unhealthy approach towards democratic expression.
She said that peaceful protests cannot be treated as criminal acts, especially when communities are raising concerns linked to their survival, rehabilitation and legal safeguards.
The PDP president noted that several Kashmiri Pandit organisations have opposed the move to subsume migrant relief rations under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) framework, fearing that it could dilute their distinct migrant status and gradually erode the special relief and rehabilitation mechanisms created for families displaced from the valley in the 1990s.
Many within the community view the move as an attempt to reduce a humanitarian and displacement-related entitlement into a routine welfare scheme, she said.
The former J-K chief minister said the issue must be addressed through dialogue and confidence-building measures instead of police action and legal intimidation.
“The pain and displacement suffered by Kashmiri Pandits is a reality that cannot be ignored. Any policy decision affecting them must be taken only after meaningful consultation with the community,” she added.
Mehbooba said democratic governments must create space for citizens to express concerns peacefully and using police action against every form of disagreement only widens mistrust and alienation.
She urged the administration to withdraw the FIR and initiate a transparent dialogue with representatives of the Kashmiri Pandit community over the NFSA-related concerns.
