SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha praised the resilience of migrant Kashmiri Pandits and urged the distinguished members of the community to set up industries, academic and cultural institutions in the Union Territory.
He highlighted that it will become an immortal story of their heritage and provide opportunities to generations to come.
Sinha was speaking at a “Global Kashmiri Pandit” Conclave organised by a section of migrant Kashmiri Pandits at SKICC in Srinagar on Saturday. The event was attended by personalities of the Kashmiri Pandit community from India and abroad.
The Kashmiri Pandits migrated en masse from the Valley after the eruption of militancy in 1990. They are living in Jammu, New Delhi and other parts of the country, while some have settled abroad.
Terming the organising of the “Global Kashmiri Pandit” conclave in Srinagar as “a moment of transformation”, LG said those once uprooted from their homeland return, and this homecoming is the truest victory.
He said the presence of business leaders, corporate heads, technology entrepreneurs, and cultural icons in the conclave sends a powerful message of confidence in the peace of Jammu and Kashmir and trust in administrative stability under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
According to him, the world remembers the 1990s, when the Kashmiri Pandit community faced unimaginable brutality and endured massacres and families were forced to leave everything behind and live in exile in their own country.
“The journey of the Kashmiri Pandit Community has been scarred by genocide, exile and struggle. The world once witnessed their wounds and now the triumph. The community chose a different path. They refused to be defined by wounds and struggle. Instead, they transformed that pain into strength," he said.
The Lt Governor called upon distinguished members of the Pandit community to set up industries, academic and cultural institutions in J&K that will become the immortal story of their heritage and provide opportunities to generations to come.
He stressed the Pandit community's contribution is needed across industry, education, arts and spirituality.
“I believe the true measure of life lies in what we give back, in the hope we inspire, and in the change we leave behind for our society and nation. That is the essence of a meaningful life, and that is the real service. And it is this legacy that will continue to guide and inspire generations to come,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
Praising the Pandit community’s resilience, Sinha said hardship never broke the spirit of the Kashmiri Pandit community.
“Suffering did not silence their ambition. Instead, they shaped their own destiny by building industries, founding institutions, driving innovation, and earning respect across the world,” he said.
“You turned struggle into strength, and that struggle forged community leaders who achieved excellence in technology, finance, medicine, the arts, and civil services. In that struggle, your commitment produced entrepreneurs who built companies shaping global markets, and I believe it also produced scholars who enriched the academic world and influenced policy,” he added.
“Today, I am proud that the Kashmiri Pandit community is celebrated for reaching new heights of success. The world honours their talent, leadership, and contributions to humanity,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
He stated that organising the "Global Kashmiri Pandit" conclave indicates that the time has come for the reconstruction and revival of the ancient glory of the Kashmiri Pandit community.
The LG said the return of the Kashmiri Pandit community reflects that after 2019, a new Jammu and Kashmir has been born.
“The strength of this new J&K reflects your resolve. It's hope reflects your vision. Jammu Kashmir, which witnessed the massacres, pain, and displacement of the Kashmiri Pandit community, has been transformed into a centre of reconstruction by PM Modi,” he pointed out.