SRINAGAR: National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah today slammed the self-styled Messiahs of Kashmiri Pandits for betraying the community and working against their interests.
Addressing a day long convention organized by President JKNC Minority Cell President Mr M K Yogi at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan here, Dr Farooq Abdullah referred to the Kashmiri Hindu Shrines Management Bill brought by the National Conference in 2009 and said he was almost threatened not to get this legislation through.
“Today they are pretending to be the well wishers of Kashmiri Pandits, who they are using to strengthen their vote bank, ” Dr Farooq Abdullah said and dared them to get the bill, as also the Women Reservation Bill, passed with their strong strength of over 300 members in Parliament.
“When they can get the bills on farm laws through, why can’t these bills,” he said, however adding that the farm laws were rolled back for the fear of electoral debacle in five states.
He said the Kashmiri Hindu Shrines Management Bill will definitely be passed when the National Conference will be mandated to form the government. “They will never pass such a bill”, he said without naming the BJP, adding that the Kashmiri Hindu Shrines Management Bill will be passed by the National Conference with support of the people.
Referring to the Kashmir situation post 1990, The National Conference President declared that Jammu and Kashmir will never go into the hands of those who believed in achieving this by engineering ethnic cleansing while referring to the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits over three decades ago.
“You have suffered a lot and what happened then had never been even comprehended,” Dr Farooq Abdullah told Kashmiri Pandits.
He recalled the horrendous events of the migration and said how the people of Kashmir felt helpless at times in coming to the rescue of the targeted people. He referred to certain incidents when the neighbours belonging to the majority community save the properties and even lives of their minority brethren at the peril of their lives. He referred to the Wanpoh, Wandhama and Budgam carnages where poor and innocent people were targeted.
Dr Abdullah called for bridging the gap between the communities and envisioned honourable and safe return of Kashmiri Pandits. He said the enemy is taking advantage of hatred brewing among the communities and there is need to shun this for the larger interest of peace and harmony. He referred to the killing of Mr Makhan Lal Bindroo and the subsequent viral video chat between a Pandit brother and sister, which is full of venom. This kind of hatred resulted in the return of Kashmiri Pandits to Jammu and the government is shamefully continuing to be in denial. He said the people have to introspect and build bridges as nobody will come to create a situation for reunion of the communities. He recalled how Jagmohan facilitated the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits with the promise to get them back in two months. He got Padma Vibhushan but never brought KPs back, he said, adding that it was his plan to defame Kashmiri Muslims across the world. He said he was told by some officers how they were told to arrange buses for KP exodus.
He said the National Conference will continue to work towards safe and honourable return of Kashmiri Pandits to their homes and hearths.
The National Conference President also decried the halting of Durbar Move, saying this was introduced by the Maharaja to cement the bonds between people of various regions and cultures. He exhorted the KPs to preserve their culture and language.
Dr Farooq Abdullah was accorded a traditional welcome on his arrival to the convention.
Earlier, Provincial Vice President Anil Dhar read out three resolutions, seeking political empowerment of Kashmiri Pandits, their honourable return to their homes and hearths and passage of Kashmiri Hindu Shrines Management Bill.
Those who addressed the convention included Rattan Lal Gupta, M.K Yogi, and Bushan Lal Bhat
Prominent among those present on the occasion included Mushtaq Ahmed Shah Bukhari, Ajaz Jan, Israr Khan, Dr Shamshad Shan, Laxami Dutta, Jatin Bhat, Kusham Tickoo, Ramesh Martha, P.K Koul, Sharad Pandita, T.K Koul, Harminder Singh, Ashok Koul, Raj Bali, Chandra Dhar, Kuldeep Pandita, Dazzy Bajaz, Mohan Lal Komrade, P.L Talshi, Naveen Goswami, Ashok Bali, Rajinder Dhar, Ashok Dhar, Sunil Bhat, Akshay Garoo, Amit Koul, Sumit Ban, Athroot, Kamal Tensin, Ashok Kenth, Monika Koul, Dimple, Ashok Bhat, Fancy, Rinku, M.K Bangroo, Muri Ji Koul, Bharat Kachroo and others.
