SRINAGAR: On the 27th anniversary of migration of Kashmiri Pandits from Valley, Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution calling for a return of migrant Pandits and other communities displaced by the militancy to the Valley.
As the J&K Assembly met this morning in Jammu, the winter capital of the State, opposition National Conference working president and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah proposed that House should pass a resolution for the return of migrant Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs and Muslims, who migrated from Valley due to unfortunate circumstances.
"Today, it has been 27 years since they left the Valley and we all should rise above politics and pass a resolution for their return to the Valley,” he said.
After the Question Hour concluded and discussions began on grants for Industries and Commerce department, senior PDP leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Abdur Rehman Veeri approved that the resolution should be passed in the House calling for the return of migrant Pandits and other communities displaced after an eruption of militancy to the Valley.
“We accept the need to bring back our people. They are our part and bringing them back will keep our conscience alive. Let us adopt this resolution,” he said.
Speaker Kavinder Gupta moved the resolution and stressed that everybody should work towards creating a good and conducive atmosphere for a safe return of migrant Pandits and other displaced people to the Valley.
Barring independent legislator and MLA Langate, Er Sheikh Abdur Rashid, all legislators supported the resolution and it was passed by the voice vote.
After an eruption of militancy in the State in 1989, the majority of the Pandits living in Kashmir fled by January 19, 1990, and migrated to Jammu and other parts of the country. The Muslims in Valley blame the then State Governor Jagmohan for the migration of Pandits.
As per official statistics, at present, there are about 60,000 registered Kashmiri migrant families in the country. About 38,119 registered Kashmiri migrant families are residing in Jammu, 19,338 in Delhi and 1,995 are living in other states of the country.
The State government has maintained that 219 Kashmir Pandits were killed in Valley after the eruption of militancy since 1989.