The Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday indicated that it would reconstitute the apex committee formed during the previous Omar Abdullah-led government to facilitate the return and rehabilitation of displaced Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley.
Adviser to Chief Minister, Nasir Wani said the time has come to move beyond allegations and counter-allegations and work to move forward for the community’s return.
Referring to initiatives taken in the past, Wani said that during the Omar Abdullah-led government in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, an apex committee had been constituted to oversee and facilitate the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits.
He said the committee would be revived and the government would work towards initiating “micro-level conversations” with the community while taking into account the prevailing ground situation.
“We would like that apex committee to be re-established so that a permanent solution for their return can be worked out,” Wani told reporters on the sidelines of the “Global Kashmiri Pandit Conclave: From Exile to Excellence” in Srinagar.
The advisor also referred to measures introduced under the rehabilitation package announced by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying many Kashmiri Pandit youths had secured jobs under the scheme and transit accommodations were subsequently established.
He urged members of the community to engage in dialogue within Kashmir itself, saying grievances should be discussed here on the ground to help shape a roadmap for reconciliation and return.
Earlier, addressing the Conclave Wani, while referring to the Pandit migration said that a tempest swept through Kashmir that time which affected everyone.
“It was equally devastating for Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmiri Muslims,” he maintained.
He said the government wanted to create conditions that would encourage the return of the displaced community to the Valley.
“This is your home, and all of us are trying to ensure your return,” Wani said, adding that the purpose of such conferences was to listen to grievances and find solutions through dialogue.
