National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday said that displaced Kashmiri Pandits are always welcome to return to their homes, emphasising their rightful place in the Valley.However, he expressed scepticism about whether the migrated community would want to come back, considering they have built new lives where they currently reside in other parts of the country, with their children engaged in employment and education.
The statement of the former chief minister came on a day when the displaced community is observing January 19 as ‘holocaust day’ to mark their exodus from the Valley in 1990 due to threats and killings by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a two-day party programme here, Abdullah noted that many Kashmiri Pandit families never left the Valley and continue to live peacefully in their villages and localities.
“When will they return (to Kashmir)? Who is stopping them? No one is preventing them. They should come back, as it is their home. Many Kashmiri Pandits are currently living in the Valley and have not left their villages,” the former chief minister responded when asked about protests by Kashmiri Pandits supporting their demand for return and rehabilitation in the Valley.
Hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits, under the banner of ‘Youth 4 Panun Kashmir,’ blocked the Jammu-Srinagar national highway near Jagti camp on Sunday evening, demanding a separate homeland in the Valley for their return and asking for the passage of a bill in Parliament to recognise their genocide.
When asked about the demands of the displaced Kashmiri Pandits, Abdullah remarked that he had assured them that the government would construct houses for them and provide the necessary support.
He added that after the fall of his government, it was in the Central government’s hands to implement the proposal.
He noted that the community would first need to assess the situation, as many Kashmiri Pandits are now settled across different parts of the country.
“They have grown older; many are seeking medical treatment, and their children are studying in colleges, schools, and universities. They may visit, but I don’t think they will return to live there permanently,” he said.