JAMMU, DECEMBER 12: Senior Kashmiri Pandit leaders, Ashwarni Chrungoo and Utpal Kaul, in a joint letter to the chairman of the Delimitation Commission of India have sought constitutional measures to ensure KP community representation in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and also the Rajya Sabha.
Chrungoo also happens to be incharge of BJP’s Department of Political Feedback, J&K, while Utpal is International Coordination of Global Kashmiri Pandit Diaspora (GKPD).
Pointing out that the Delimitation Commission is reported to have called for a full Commission meeting on December 20 at New Delhi to finalize the draft proposal for delimitation of constituencies in the Union Territory of J&K, they said that the proposed draft may include their reference in it for inclusion by taking up a constitutional measure by the government and the parliament as their case has a strong and valid substance.
Both the leaders drew Commission’s attention towards the presentation made by them before it at its Delhi office on March 26 and later at Jammu in July last when the Commission paid a visit to J&K, adding that a number of documents as desired by it were also submitted before it at both the places. “The case of the displaced Kashmiri Pandits and other minorities of Kashmir is a unique one which the founding fathers of the Indian Constitution would have never visualized,’’ they said, adding that “since they are living as refugees in their own country and belong to the Kashmir valley as its indigenous people, it is important that their issue is put on priority while finalising the draft’’.
“We are also aware that the Commission is working on the basis of the terms of reference and the J&K Reorganisation Act of 2019, therefore, the issue of the Pandit community needs to be viewed from a broader perspective,’’ the KP leaders said, reiterating that “the delimitation issue will test the intent of the state towards the displaced community of Kashmiri Pandits, Kashmiri Sikhs and the non-Kashmiri speaking Hindus of Kashmir living in exile for the last more than three decades’’.
It is the question of their socio-political existence in a state the foundations of which were laid by their forefathers in the past history, they pointed out, adding the contributions of the Pandit community in the fields of literature, architecture, civilizational flow, medicine, philosophy, music, dance, law, politics, history writing, religion and sociology are profound and immense. “It will be a worse tragedy than their unfortunate forced exodus if they are ignored in the final analysis, draft and report of the hon’ble commission,’’ they added.
The displaced community in the hour of their crisis is looking forward to your honour for collective justice and fairness, they said, adding that this is possible by a clear reference to the government of India for taking up the required constitutional measures in line with the Sikkim ‘Sangha’ example, Pudducherry Assembly model of nominations, erstwhile Parliamentary representation for Anglo-Indian community or the nomination of two women members to the Assembly as it existed in the J&K Assembly.
