Ghettoisation of Kashmiri Pandits Under the Garb of “Safe Zones”

The creation of these so called ‘safe zones’ will only encourage communal agents, writes Daanish Bin Nabi.

A Kashmiri Pandit family in Ompura, Budgam. 

(Photo Courtesy: Daanish Bin Nabi/ The Quint)

There is hardcore politics involved in rehabilitating the Pandits in Kashmir. Both the mainstream political parties as well as the players who don’t want the Kashmir issue to be resolved owing to their vested interests, have played their own petty politics in rehabilitating the Pandits.

Majority of Pandit groups and families, who have not fallen prey to petty politics of groups like “Panun Kashmir”, have acknowledged the fact that the mainstream political parties only remember Pandit’s flight at the time of elections to lure the community to vote. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the latest entrant in this category.

On the other hand, the Hurriyat conglomerate has time and again requested the Pandit brethren to come back to Kashmir as every Muslim will welcome them with warm hands and open hearts. The only agitating point is the demand of New Delhi to settle them in “safe zones”.

Creating Satellite Zones

The coalition government of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was marred by a number of controversies in the year 2015. One of the major controversies the government faced was “satellite zones” for the Pandit families.

One of the BJP MLAs Ravinder Raina said:

We are very much clear and we want the return and resettlement of the Kashmiri Pandit community in the Kashmir valley in a dignified manner. They must be given a secure environment. They should not go and live in scattered places in their villages, they need proper security zones for their survival.

Ravinder Raina, BJP MLA

A rational mind simply cannot comprehend what is the need of these so called “safe zones” and how will Pandits be safe in such a zone. Hypothetically, if there are clashes between the group, or militant attack in these zones how are the Pandits safe then?

If Pandit families are living safely in Habba Kadal area of Srinagar or even in Tral which has become a hotbed of militancy, what makes New Delhi think that the remaining Pandit families are not safe among local Kashmiri populace.

A Kashmiri Pandit family in Ompura, Budgam.  (Photo Courtesy: Daanish Bin Nabi/ The Quint)

Various organisations such as the traders’ federation, civil society, bar association, Hurriyat conglomerate and even the common people have made it amply clear that the Pandits are welcomed in Kashmir, but New Delhi should refrain from making “safe zones” for them.

Hurriyat (G), led by Syed Ali Geelani in a recent statement said:

We are in no way against the return and rehabilitation of the Pandit community in the Valley, but the Indian government and its policy makers want to play a very dangerous game under its garb and they not only want to divide the Kashmiri society on religious lines, but they also want to harm the freedom struggle of the Kashmiris.

Statement by Hurriyat (G)

Safe Zones to Encourage Communal Agents

Taking examples from the NIT Srinagar controversy, one can easily gauge that the creation of these so called “safe zones” will only act as safe zones for the communal agents as we saw during the NIT controversy. There is every apprehension that these “safe zones” may be misused by the communal elements of India.

Kashmiri Pandits have always talked about Kashmiriyat; living among your own people, and not in “safe zones”, is Kashmiriyat.

The government on the other hand with the help of Jammu Kashmir Project Construction Corporation (JKPCC) has already started work on “safe zones” at Shiekpora, Budgam and Vesu in Anantnag. It has also directed that the land at other places should be identified at the earliest for starting the construction work. The government has identified 30 kanal of land at Anantnag for another transit camp site.

At a cost of Rs 15 lakh for each flat, the multi-storey accommodation will be constructed at different places. Adequate so-called “security arrangements” will also be made at these places for the safety of Pandits.

EHSAAS, is a Srinagar based NGO. Its work mostly centres on interfaith between Kashmiri Muslim and Pandit women. The NGO works in the direction of maintaining a culture of peace, the voices of women, those most affected by violent conflict and are struggling courageously and creatively to build community.

I can tell you with authority that Pandits living in these so called “safe zones” are not happy at all. Countless Pandits with whom our group has interacted want to get rid of these ghettos. Pandits living in these ghettos are dependent on Muslim neighbours because their basic needs like eatables are met by the Muslims only. (sic)

Ezbair Ali, EHSAAS Secretary

Ali further adds:

Moreover, they themselves do not want to be part this ghettoisation politics. Instead, of making them to live in ghettos, the government should come up with a comprehensive policy w(h)ere all these Pandits can live at their own respective places in a dignified (manner) like they used to before 1990s. These “safe zones” do not serve any purpose neither are they in interest of Muslims nor in favour of Pandits, but only politicians make their votes. It is better for everyone to realise that Pandits can be safer and in far better position if they come and live with their old neighbours, instead of living in these so called “safe zones”.

Ezbair Ali, EHSAAS’ Secretary

(The writer is a Srinagar-based freelance journalist. He can be reached at @DaanishNabi . This is the second part of a three-part series on Kashmiri pandits. You may like to read the first part and third part. This is an opinion piece and The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)

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