JAMMU, Sep 18: The Youth All India Kashmiri Samaj (YAIKS) organised a protest in Jammu on Thursday, seeking clarity from the Government of India and the Jammu and Kashmir administration on the return and rehabilitation of the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community in the Kashmir Valley.
The demonstration was organised as part of the organisation’s ongoing campaign seeking what it described as justice for the displaced community and measures to facilitate its return to its place of origin. Hundreds of YAIKS volunteers, including men and women, participated in the protest under the leadership of YAIKS President and GKPD Coordinator, J&K Chapter, Pt. R.K. Bhat.
Addressing the protesters, Pt. R.K. Bhat urged the Government of India and the Jammu and Kashmir administration to take concrete measures for the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits. He said the community has remained displaced for nearly 37 years and called for a comprehensive approach towards addressing issues concerning its return, rehabilitation and socio-economic security.
Bhat said the Government should clearly outline its policy and roadmap regarding the return of displaced Kashmiri Pandits to the Kashmir Valley. He expressed hope that meaningful steps would be taken to address the concerns of the community and facilitate its eventual return to its homeland.
YAIKS called for a comprehensive review, redesign and restructuring of the Prime Minister’s Return, Relief and Rehabilitation Package. The organisation also demanded 15,000 additional government jobs under the Prime Minister’s package for unemployed youth from the displaced community, including Left-Over Candidates who, according to the organisation, have received relief through the Central Administrative Tribunal.
The organisation further demanded one-time compensation for overage youth and displaced traders, proposing a minimum compensation of Rs 1 lakh for every year of displacement in recognition of the loss of livelihood and opportunities faced by them over the years.
YAIKS also sought an increase in livelihood assistance for relief holders. The organisation said the existing assistance of ₹108 per day per person was inadequate in view of present-day living costs and demanded that it be increased to ₹500 per day per person.
Another demand raised during the protest concerned community-level internal elections. YAIKS called for such elections to be conducted under Government supervision, stating that this would help ensure transparency and prevent alleged manipulation by vested interests.
The protesters said that if their demands were not considered at the earliest, the organisation would launch an indefinite protest campaign across the country. Participants carrying banners and flags raised slogans in support of their demands during the demonstration.
Among those who addressed the gathering were YAIKS core group members Sanjay Ganjoo, Manoj Handoo, D.N. Sadhu, Sunil Dhar, Ravi Kumar, Roohi Nazar, Lovely Bhan, Ajay Pandita, Kamal Tak, Suman Dass, Gurpreet Singh, Sandeep Talashi, Sagar Ji and Urmilla Ji, besides other members and participants.
The protest concluded with the organisation reiterating its demand for a clear policy on the return and rehabilitation of displaced Kashmiri Pandits, along with measures concerning employment, livelihood assistance, compensation and community representation.