Day not far when Kashmiri Pandits will return to their homeland: J-K LG Sinha
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, said on Thursday that the day is not far when all Kashmiri Pandits would return to their homeland.
“With God’s grace, all Kashmiri Pandits would return to their homes in Kashmir and the day is not far,” he told reporters after attending a 3-day-long Mahashivratri mela being held at Jagti Colony, a settlement of the displaced Brahmin Hindu community in Jammu.
He said that salaries of the Kashmiri Pandit employees working under the Prime Minister’s special job package who have resumed their duties in the Valley have been released. “The relief and rehabilitation department ensured that these employees are properly rehabilitated,” he said, adding that in Srinagar’s Pantha Choak area a Yatri Niwas has been constructed and is being upgraded to accommodate 3,000 pilgrims at a time.
Earlier while speaking at the inaugural function of the festival, he said that all the issues of the migrant Kashmiri Pandit community are being taken up for their resolution “with utmost sensitivity”. He said, “J&K government always stands by you. Your safety is our top priority, and we are taking all possible measures to ensure that. This is the commitment of the Government of India and Hon’ble Prime Minister”.
Mr. Sinha added, “You have suffered a lot for three long decades. I pray that the day comes when you return to your homes with honour. I hope with your return Kashmir will find its lost glory.”
He said that the special governance camp being held in Jammu “is a testimony to our commitment for welfare of the Kashmiri Pandit community.”
He said, “The Department of Relief and Rehabilitation and other line departments are ensuring 100 percent saturation of the benefits of all social security schemes, entrepreneurship development schemes and skilling programs”.
He urged all the members of the Kashmiri Pandit community to avail the benefits of the special camps. “The administration is always ready to resolve all the genuine issues. Continuous efforts are being made to ensure that your problems and grievances are resolved promptly and effectively”, he said.
Extending the greetings to the Pandits on Mahashivratri, he said the festival is the celebration of Kashmiri culture and the spiritual-cultural heritage of the country. “It is the symbol of our ancient values and ethos. Kashmiri Pandit brothers and sisters living in different parts of the country and the world have kept this tradition alive”, he added.
