Author: Tariq Mir
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: May 5, 2003
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=23317
Fed up with empty promises, they
are resorting to fast as a protest measure. The Kashmiri Pandit community,
yet to recover from the scars of the recent Nadimarg massacre in which
24 of their ilk were shot dead by militants, today said they were going
on a 'fast unto death', putting the Mufti Sayeed-led state government on
a three months notice to address their security concerns. Or else, they
say, the entire community will migrate out of the Valley.
Gathered in the precincts of Ramji
Temple in Kothibagh here, around 30 representatives of the remaining 5,000
strong community from across the Valley spelt out their demands to the
government. ''First and foremost, we want the government to set up clusters
of Pandit community homes in different districts of the Valley that would
make us secure. Second, we want quick rehabilitation of displaced members
who had to move out of their homes in the far off villages. And third,
we want employment for our youth,'' president of Hindu Welfare Society
Moti Lal Bhat said.
Community elders lambasted the Mufti
government alleging it hadn't fulfilled promsies given in the wake of the
Nadimarg massacre. ''All these leaders rushed to Nadimarg after the carnage
and persuaded the remaining members of our community to stay back assuring
security would be beefed up. But since then nothing has been done. We are
still living in fear. This govt appears to be waiting for another massacre
before they would agree to our demands. It's better for them to round us
up and shoot us dead rather than leave us to live like this,'' another
leader Chunni Lal Bhat raged as other members noded in approval.
Amidst the circle dominated by males,
Santoshaji, a mother of five children from Budgam in Kashmir, echoed the
same sentiments. ''If they don't want us here then they should let us migrate
out of the Valley. I have three grown up daughters to marry off and two
sons who are unemployed. We have suffered like the Muslims here for last
14 years, there must be an end to it.''
Five days after the Nadimarg massacre,
the state government had intercepted a convoy of fleeing survivors on their
way out of Valley and impressed on them to stay back. But a week later
most of the survivors migrated out unconvinced by the governments assurances
about their safety.
