SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Chief Tariq Hameed Karra on Tuesday said the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley cannot be achieved through symbolic gestures or cosmetic measures, but requires serious political empowerment and resolution of longstanding issues.
Speaking to reporters after offering prayers at the annual Kheer Bhawani Mela in Tulmulla, Karra said, “Unless the Kashmiri Pandit community is politically empowered, their issues are addressed, and their confidence genuinely restored, you cannot bring them back by just showcasing films or events.”
In a veiled reference to attempts to link the community’s return to cultural and cinematic initiatives, Karra said, “By making Bollywood films, you will not bring back the Pandits. The solution has to come from within—within Kashmir, within Jammu and Kashmir—and through the collective will of all communities.”
He added that the majority Muslim community must also play an active role in facilitating the return, along with a sincere commitment from all political parties. “This cannot happen unless the political leadership across the spectrum shows the will to make it happen,” he said.
In a pointed rebuttal to ‘fear and pressure narratives’, Karra said the overwhelming participation of devotees at the mela was living proof of communal harmony and public will. “I will not say anything about the rush, but after the Pahalgam episode, if there was any fear or pressure, what you are seeing here today would not have been possible,” he said.
He said this should be an answer to those who tried hard to break the coordination between Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs. “You tried, but this is our Kashmir—where Gandhi Ji saw the light of brotherhood in 1947—and that still stands and will always stand.” (KNO)
