Kashmiri Pandits demand separate UT

Srinagar: On the eve of the visit of an all-party delegation to Jammu and Kashmir, a frontline Kashmiri Pandit organisation today demanded carving out a separate union territory for the community in the valley to “permanently rehabilitate them”.

Panun Kashmir said no other solution was acceptable to the pandits of Kashmir who were forced to leave their homes during the onset of militancy in Kashmir.

“We want the entire political class of India to recognise the need of carving out a Union Territory of Panun Kashmir north and east of river Jhelum for the rehabilitation of internally displaced Hindus of Kashmir,” said convener of Panun Kashmir, Agnishekhar, here.

“In Kashmir there is total rejection of coexistence and genocidal war on Hindus is continuing unabated. Kashmir has become a den of religious fascism and anti-India rebellion and to defeat it dividing Kashmir has become a necessity,” he said.

Claiming Kashmir had become “an ungoverned zone”, the organisation members also advised the members of the all-party delegation “not to make any compromise with separatists”.

“We ask the government of India to desist from encouraging soft separatists and recognise the reality that present seditious unrest has been a result of accommodating soft-separatism,” said Agnishekhar.

“It is a national responsibility of all the leaders of the all-party delegation to recognise that soft-separatist enterprise has acted as an over ground support structure to the religious fascist upsurge in Kashmir valley,” he added.