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Row Over 'Composite Townships' for Kashmiri Pandits Intensifies, Separatists Call for Shut Down

Protests erupted in Srinagar today over a plan for "composite townships" in Jammu and Kashmir for displaced Kashmiri Hindus, or Pandits. Police resorted to tear gas shelling as dozens of demonstrators, led by separatist Yasin Malik, broke police cordons and entered the Lal Chowk area in the centre of the city. According to officials eight policemen were injured during the clashes.

 

Separatist groups have called for state-wide protests against setting up of separate townships for Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley. They have also called for a general strike tomorrow over the issue.

 

In a related development, several Kashmiri Pandits and Sikhs, who continued to live in the valley even after the exodus, have also joined their voice against separate townships. They have offered to engage with all parties concerned and come up with a concrete proposal.

'No Israeli-Type Settlement,' Says Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Rejecting Separate Townships for Kashmiri Pandits

"The valley belongs to everybody and we have to live together. We will fight against the central government tooth and nail. We oppose dividing society on sectarian lines," says Chairman of All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee, Jagmohan Singh Raina.

 

Kumar Ji Wanchoo, a prominent member of the Kashmiri Pandit community, told NDTV, "Now is the issue of modalities.  The modality of Panun Kashmir (separate homeland) has never been a reality because it is not practical and it will not work''

 

Referring to separatists' call for a bandh tomorrow, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju said, "There are elements in the state who definitely try to wipe up the sentiments of the people which will create problems. So my appeal would be that people should not get brainwashed or influenced by those elements."

 

In an apparent reference to Pakistan, Mr Rijiju said, "We cannot be influenced by people working at the diktat of the outsiders and all."

 

Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who runs a government in partnership with the BJP, had earlier said that while the government will be taking steps for the return of the Kashmiri Pandit community, no separate townships will be set up.

 

About three lakh Pandits had left the Valley in the 1990s. Around 1500 of those who did return since 2007 under a government job scheme say they are not happy. They live in migrant colonies but allege  that they do not have basic amenities like a ration card or even a voter ID card.

 

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Several people were injured on Friday in clashes between police and Yasin Malik's JKLF supporters, who were protesting against the proposed "composite townships" for displaced Kashmiri Pandits in the valleyBesides Malik, prominent separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani had called for a protest after Friday prayers and complete shut down on Saturday across the valley.

Police resorted to lathicharge and used tear gas shells as soon as the protesters led by JKLF leader Yasin Malik reached near Ghanta Ghar at Lal Chowk in the afternoon.

The protestors raising the slogans 'sang sang jiyenge sang sang marenge (we will live and die together), "alahida colony manzoor nahi manzoor nahi (separate colonies are not acceptable), broke the cordon laid at Budshah Chowk and reached Lal Chowk which resulted in the scuffle with the police, eyewitnesses said.

 

 

Interestingly, some families of Kashmiri Pandits, who continued to stay back during the mass exodus in 1990, were also part of the protests along with the JKLF activists.

Geelani has asked people to hold protest demonstrations on April 10, after Friday prayers against the proposed establishment of 'composite townships' for displaced Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley.

Reports said, protest rally was taken out by the supporters of Geelani from Iqra Masjid Saraibala at Amira kadal after the Friday prayers.

[ravula]

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