SRINAGAR: In a letter addressed to Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has called for urgent steps to facilitate the dignified return and rehabilitation of the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community. Terming the issue a matter of “moral imperative” and “societal responsibility,” Mufti urged Raj Bhawan to begin an inclusive dialogue-driven process involving community representatives, civil society, local leadership, and relevant administrative agencies.
The letter, dated May 26, emphasises that the rehabilitation of the Pandit community transcends partisan politics and touches the shared conscience of all communities in Jammu and Kashmir. “Every political party in Jammu & Kashmir, irrespective of ideology, has consistently supported the idea of their return,” Mufti wrote, adding that the yearning for reconciliation must be transformed into meaningful, on-ground progress.
Accompanying the letter is a detailed roadmap titled “Reimagining Return of Kashmiri Migrants”, which outlines a phased, multi-stakeholder rehabilitation strategy. The proposal argues that the return of Kashmiri Pandits should not be reduced to a bureaucratic exercise but must be treated as a question of historical justice and the restoration of Kashmir’s pluralistic ethos.
The document begins by tracing the roots of the exodus. Following the onset of militancy in the late 1980s, over 44,000 families — primarily Kashmiri Pandits — were registered by the state’s Relief Office as migrants who fled the Valley. According to Ministry of Home Affairs data from 2020, that number had risen to nearly 65,000 families spread across Jammu, Delhi, and other Indian states, marking one of the largest internal displacements in post-independence India.
In its rationale for reintegration, the roadmap argues that true reconciliation will require more than symbolic gestures. It calls for a multi-dimensional approach anchored in material support, social inclusion, and political empowerment.
Among the key policy recommendations is the creation of a Secure Transfer and Redeployment Policy under the Prime Minister’s Special Rehabilitation Package. This would ensure that government employees from the displaced community are given the option to work in safer zones without jeopardising their careers. A zonal risk map of the Valley has been proposed to guide such placements based on real-time assessments of security conditions.
To restore a sense of permanence, the proposal recommends the allotment of half a kanal of state land to each displaced family in their district of origin, contingent upon their willingness to return. This land, it states, must be supported with legal titles, essential infrastructure, and civic amenities. For families whose original homes still exist in damaged condition, financial grants or interest-free loans have been proposed, along with technical assistance for restoration.
Significantly, the roadmap also proposes formal political inclusion of the displaced community through the establishment of two reserved constituencies in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. This shift from nomination-based representation to direct electoral participation, it argues, would allow displaced persons to play a constructive role in the region’s democratic future and help institutionalise dialogue between communities.
To bridge the emotional and social chasm created by decades of separation, the plan suggests an annual “Return & Reconnect” summit. The event would bring together displaced families, local residents, policymakers, and scholars to share stories, address concerns, and shape collective solutions. Additionally, Community Liaison Officers (CLOs) have been proposed for each district to act as single-window facilitators handling documentation, housing, schooling, and grievance redressal.
At the institutional level, the roadmap calls for transforming the current Relief and Rehabilitation Department into a fully empowered Reconciliation and Reintegration Commission (RRC). The RRC, it suggests, should be an autonomous body with quasi-judicial powers, responsible for coordinating all reintegration efforts, addressing grievances, and reporting to the Legislative Assembly. Its membership would include displaced community representatives, civil society members, legal experts, and government officials.
“The reintegration of Kashmiri Pandits must not be viewed merely as a symbolic return to their ancestral homes,” the concluding section of the document states, “but as an opportunity to build a shared, inclusive and forward-looking future for Jammu and Kashmir.” The roadmap argues that such efforts will not only address a humanitarian and historical injustice, but also rejuvenate the pluralistic character of the Valley.
A copy of the letter and the proposal has also been sent to the Union Home Minister and the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. There has been no official response from the Lieutenant Governor’s office at the time of filing this report. However, the comprehensive nature of the roadmap and the political consensus around the issue may prompt serious deliberations in the coming days.
