KASHMIRI POLITICIANS, MEDIA PERSONALITIES CALL FOR A UNITED FRONT TO COMBAT TERRORISM IN KASHMIR

In an online panel discussion hosted by Global Kashmiri Pandit Diaspora (GKPD) on 11th October 2021, eminent Kashmiri politicians and media personalities called for a united front to combat terrorism in Kashmir, and for political parties to work together for the honourable return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits back in the valley.

The webinar was attended by several dignitaries— Ghulam Nabi Azad, Dinesh Trivedi, Vivek Tankha, Padmashree Alok Mehta, Junaid Azim Mattoo, Surinder Ambardar, Sanjay Ganjoo, Utpal Kaul et al.

Surinder Kaul, moderator of the webinar, opened the discussion to highlight the point that the silence of the nation at large and the majority community in Kashmir in particular at the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits has led to the destruction of the syncretic ethos of Kashmir.

Junaid Mattu spoke of his generation being born in an atmosphere bereft of Kashmiri Pandits and the diversity they brought to the region. 

Surinder Ambardar said that there has been a paradigm shift in the valley and we should not compare the current situation with that in 1990.The role of Pakistan; Taliban-China nexus in destroying the social, economic and political fabric in Jammu Kashmir needs to be understood by the world.

Ghulam Nabi Azad spoke about the current situation, following America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, being of significant concern for India. He urged all parties to agree to a common narrative and support our nation.

Dinesh Trivedi talked about a two-pronged approach to improve the current situation. Internally we have to be strong so that no innocent person suffers and externally anti India forces need to be nipped in the bud.

Vivek Tankha reiterated the need to engage with stakeholders at all levels and empower them and while restoring law an order is important, other steps to support the local population need to be taken in parallel.

Alok Mehta talked about his close links with Kashmir as a journalist in the 1980’s.He expressed his anguish at the enormous atrocities faced by the Kashmiri Pandit community over the years.

Sanjay Ganjoo talked about the historic problems faced by the Kashmiri Pandit community over generations with discrimination meted out at the state level against them and that the successive state governments failed to provide any support to the internally displaced community.

Utpal Kaul spoke very emotionally about the extreme hardships faced by the community over the years following the collapse of the political system in 1990.

The discussion concluded with Nirja Kaul Sadhu, International coordinator GKPD, thanking the panel for their views and hoped that the discussion is the beginning of a process that will ensure that Kashmiri Pandits are able to return to Kashmir soon in a safe and secure environment.