Srinagar, Sep 14: The Kashmir Policy & Strategy Group, chaired by senior advocate Ashok Bhan, organised a web meeting on the eve of Kashmiri Pandit Balidan Divas, with participants calling for a time-bound roadmap for the community’s return and rehabilitation in Kashmir.
According to a statement issued by the group, the meeting was attended by intellectuals, former bureaucrats, academicians, media personalities, social and women’s rights activists, representatives of community organisations, overseas diaspora representatives and youth.
The participants paid tributes to Kashmiri Pandits who, according to the statement, were killed by militants and discussed the displacement of the community from the Valley.
The meeting also discussed the impact of the community’s 37-year displacement, including loss of life, destruction, demographic changes and disruption of cultural and social ties.
According to the statement, participants reiterated their resolve to return to Kashmir, with emphasis on security, dignity, equality and participation in the social and economic life of the region.
The group called on the Government of India to formulate a comprehensive and time-bound Return, Rehabilitation and Restitution Roadmap in consultation with representative Kashmiri Pandit organisations.
It said such a framework should address security, voluntary return, property restitution, housing and livelihood opportunities, as well as the protection of temples and cultural heritage.
The participants also called for measurable targets, designated institutional responsibilities and periodic public review of the implementation of any such roadmap.
The meeting concluded with a call to translate the community’s demand for return into a structured policy framework, the statement said.
