Roots In Kashmir

HUMAN RIGHTS RALLY ON DECEMBER 10, 2006 - OTHER PRESS REPORTS

Protest Rally By Displaced Kashmiri Pandits
Hindustan Times
Page 2

A GROUP of displaced Kashmiri Pandit youths held a protest rally in the Capital demanding that the government give them the status of "Internally Displaced People."

The group also suggested setting up of a commission to inquire into the causes behind the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley. Aditya Raj Kaul, youth activist and coordinator, said the condition of the Kashmiri Pandits was miserable, they are made to put up at small camps without basic ameni ties. PTI

Displaced Kashmiris hold rally
By OUR CORRESPONDENT
The Asian Age

New Delhi, Dec. 10: A group of displaced Kashmiri pandit youths held a protest rally on Human Rights Day on Sunday at Jantar Mantar demanding that the government grant them the status of "Internally Displaced People". Traders of the capital also turned out in huge numbers protesting against the ongoing sealing drive in the capital.

Concerned over the government's handling of the issue, a group of youths under the name, "Roots in Kashmir", an NGO, submitted a memorandum to the National Human Rights Commission and apprised them over the plight of the Kashmiri pandits.

The memorandum demanded the status of "Internally Displaced People" as per the United Nation's definition. It also demanded that the blue print for the rehabilitation of the Kashmiri pandits should be created by the Union and the state government at a war footing.

The group also suggested setting up of a commission to inquire into the causes behind the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri pandits from the Valley as well as to prosecute all those engaged in the brutal act.

The members raised slogans saying "Kashmir is our and we will get it back at our own conditions". Aditya Raj Kaul, youth activist and coordinator, said the condition of the Kashmiri pandits is miserable, they are made to put up at small camps, without basic amenities like sanitation and pure drinking water.

He also said that the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Mutthi camp in Kashmir last year has not made any difference in the condition there. The huge amount of money sanctioned for us has disappeared in vacuum," said Aditya.

Another organisation representing Kashmiri pandits accused the Centre of failing to protect their rights and alleged that the community was ignored because it did not influence political equations in the country.

There has been large-scale encroachment of land and properties owned by displaced Kashmiris, since their ouster from the state 17 years ago, Kashmiri Sahayak Sabha (KSS) general secretary Rajesh Moza said. Only 300 displaced Kashmiri pandits have been employed by the government, he said alleging the "community's voice was not respected".

"Roots In Kashmir"
Posted on 11 Dec 2006 by HIMTIMES

Delhi, DEC 11: "Roots In Kashmir" – an initiative launched by the Kashmiri Pandit youth to highlight the atrocities inflicted upon the Kashmiri Pandit minority community held protest rallies across India, Oman and USA on the occasion of World Human Rights Day. The rallies were held in Delhi, Jammu , Ahmedabad ,Baroda ,Hyderabad , Pune Bangalore ,Muscat & Chicago (USA). The Human Rights Day protest rally highlighted the human-rights violations against Kashmiri Pandits.

Ajay Bharti,senior coordinator said to this reporter, "Roots In Kashmir", (RIK) has handed over memorandae to various Human Rights organizations incuding NHRC ,UNHRC ,Amnesty International ,HRW etc. The memorandum sought to highlight the human rights violations against the minority Kashmiri Pandit community in the state of Jammu & Kashmir.

The memorandum drew the attention of Human Rights organizations to the facts and figures related to Kashmiri Pandit community's mass exodus due to the ethnic cleansing that they had to face in the valley in late 80s and early 90s. It also pointed out the abject failure of successive Indian Union and State governments in protecting the human rights of Kashmiri Pandit community. As far as the Indian Government's internal policy priorities are concerned, human rights issues of Kashmiri Pandits have not just taken a back seat, but have been locked away in the boot .

The memorandum appeals to various human rights bodies to highlight the human rights violations against Kashmiri Pandits.

"Roots In Kashmir" demands that the Indian Union government should grant the status of "Internally Displaced People" to Kashmiri Pandits. This demand is in line with the United Nation's definition of "Internally Displaced People". It also demands that a blue-print for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits should be created by the Union and J&K State governments at war-footing said Pawan Durani.

The release circulated by RIK on the event of the rally provides suggestions for alleviating the issues being faced by the ethnically cleansed minority community of Kashmiri Pandits. The suggestions fall into four major cateogries:

- Setting up of commission to inquire into the causes behind Kashmiri Pandits' ethnic cleansing from the valley
- Declartion of Kashmiri Pandits as Internally Displaced People
- Constituting a rehabilitation committee that will look into the financial, economical and political rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits
- Explore mechanisms for providing adequate means of subsistence to the relocated persons, and proper compensation to the affected people for the loss of their property and the mental torture they have been subjected to and
- Setting up prosecutorial processes to prosecute all those who have engaged into ethnic cleansing of minority community of Kashmiri Pandits.

Hundreds of temples and shrines have been broken and desecrated in Kashmir. The government is also an accomplice in this process. The government has grabbed lands of various shrines said Rashneek Kher. It is therefore demanded that restoration of temples and other sacred places be taken in the right earnest.

"Human Rights organizations" and 'social activists' activley campaigning for the human rights of the people accused of involvemnet in violent activities, including those who have been convicted by the highest court of the country, have miserably failed in highlighting the human rights violations against the minority community in the Kashmir valley said Aditya Raj Kaul,youth activist and coordinator.

Rajesh Kaul,sought to make public the 1986 riots (against Kashmiri Pandits) enquiry report.Sanjay Pandita and Rocky Pandita vehemently sought governments intervention in the name changing spree that was leading to historical distortions in the geographical topography of Kashmir.

RIK appeals to the collective conciousness of this great nation and its people to stand up and speak for the lacs of displaced Kashmiri Pandits.It has expressed its unhappiness in the way the whole issue of mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits has been handled by government.It seems that the government is trying to sweep under the carpet the issues facing Kashmiri Pandits (KIP)