Centre likely to soon declare Kashmiri Pandits as 'internally displaced'

New Delhi: The Centre is likely to issue a guideline soon declaring the Kashmiri Pandits as 'internally displaced' rather than migrants and has promised to ameliorate the suffering of the community.

The assurance came when a delegation of major Kashmiri Pandits organisations met Minister of State for PMO Jitendra Singh and Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary here on Wednesday.

During the hour-long meeting, the Pandits apprised the two Union ministers about the problems being faced by the community in day-to-day affairs and sought central government's assistance in resolving them.

Sources said the ministers assured the delegation that a guideline declaring Kashmiri Pandits as 'internally displaced' would be issued soon, after the team objected to the term "migrants", and said the government would do all needful to resolve their problems.

The delegation told the ministers that the response of the government to the uprooting and sufferings of an entire minority community was, is and has been one of "callousness and indifference".

They said, out of 6,000 jobs promised under the Prime Minister's package, only about 1,500-odd jobs have been provided. Requesting that the rest of the jobs may be provided at the earliest without any unfavourable conditions, the delegation urged that these jobs should be provided by the central government instead of the Jammu and Kashmir and without any condition.

Proper, dignified and secure facilities for the stay of the Pandits in Kashmir should be created instead of the transit accommodation, the delegation told the ministers. Those who attended the meeting include representatives of Jammu Kashmir Vichar Manch, Sampoorna Kashmir, Panun Kashmir and Kashmir Samiti.