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Roots In Kashmir New Delhi, India December 7, 2006 Media Release Roots In Kashmir declares plans for Human Rights Day protest rally New Delhi [December 7, 2006]. “Roots In Kashmir” – an initiative launched by the Kashmiri Pandit youths to highlight the atrocities inflicted upon the Kashmiri Pandit minority community in the valley of Kashmir, declared their plans for organizing a Human Rights Day protest rally in a news conference today. The Human Rights Day protest rally will be to highlight the human-rights violations against Kashmiri Pandits. The rally will be held at Jantar-Mantar in New Delhi at 3:00PM on “Human Rights Day” Sunday December 10, 2006. “Roots In Kashmir” (RIK) also announced that they will be handing over memorandums to various Human Rights organizations on the day of protest rally. The memorandum is going to highlight the human rights violations against the minority Kashmiri Pandit community in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. The memorandum draws 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 points 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 also lays blame at various human rights organizations who have miserably failed in highlighting the human rights violations against Kashmiri Pandits. “Roots In Kashmir” also 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. The memorandum also 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. Roots In Kashmir considers it to be its moral and humanistic duty to advise the Human Right bodies and the powers that concern to draw a blue print for return, rehabilitation and re-integration of internally displaced Kashmiri Pandits strictly in accordance with the study, research, analysis and recommendations of the United Nations through its subsidiary bodies. In particular, the report of the representative of the Secretary-General on IDPs, the Special Rapporteur on Minorities, and also of Mr. Asbjorn Eide the Chairman of the Working Group on Minorities - the important subsidiary of the UN Commission on Human Rights – that has defined the Pandits as a clear example of “reverse minority”, should form the basis of the blue print for Pandits’ return. The blue print needs to be implemented only when de-communalization of Kashmir is brought about. Roots In Kashmir (RIK) appeals to one and all to attend this Human Rights Day protest rally to show solidarity with Kashmiri Pandit refugees. It is the responsibility of every living human being to speak up against human rights violations and stand up against discriminatory government policies. RIK also appeals all the media outlets to cover this protest rally and provide adequate coverage highlighting the human rights violations against Kashmiri Pandit community.
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