Panun Kashmir observed the Kashmiri Pandit Holocast Day on 19 Jan

Panun Kashmir observed the Kashmiri Pandit Holocast Day today and organized a Joint Demonstratiuon at outside the Raj Bhawan, Jammu. This day is being observed every year by the Kashmiri Pandit community as the HOLOCAST DAY since 1991 in memory of the persecution that was inflicted upon the Kashmiri Pandit community in the valley of Kashmir in 1989-90. The Kashmiri Pandit community was made the selected victim of terror and terrorism, murder and mayhem on a large scale resulting in their mass exodus from the valley. Genocide against the Kashmiri Pandit community was used as a strong weapon to achieve ethnic cleansing by the fundamentalists and terrorists in the Kashmir valley. The prominent among the office bearers of Panun Kashmir who attended the demonstration included S/Shri Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, Virender Raina, Upinder Kaul, Virender Kaul, Vijay Qazi, N.M.Gadroo, Sameer bhat, Balji Hazari and Rakesh Tikoo.

In his address, Shri Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, President, Panun Kashmir said that those who forget the facts of history are condemned to live it again and that is why that the leadership of the community has to remain on guard against any hasty and apolitical move regarding the settlement of the community in Kashmir. Diatribe against the Pandit community by the separatist forces in Kashmir remains unabated despite complete banishment of the Pandits in Kashmir. It is the secessionist and terrorist forces who were responsible for the genocide and ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits. The observance of the 19th January as the Holocaust Day reminds the community of the historical facts regarding its persecution and exodus. The coming together of various KP organisations on one platform today demonstrated the sense of alarm and urgency because of the uncertain political conditions in the state.

Shri Virender Raina said that the displacement and resettlement of the community in Kashmir are very serious political issues. The community has first and natural right over the territory of Kashmir and would return only when its geo-political aspirations as per Margdarshan resolution are fulfilled through political and constitutional means. Despite the recommendations made by a number of Parliamentary Standing committee on Home affairs regarding the grant of Internally Displaced Persons status to the KP community, nothing concrete has been done till date. We demand that the IDP status as recommended by the Parliamentary Committees be granted to the community living in exile for the last 26 years.