As the Kashmiri Pandit community marked ‘Exodus Day’ on Monday, National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah said that there are no barriers to their return to the Valley, noting that many members of the community continue to live in the region peacefully.
Speaking to reporters, Abdullah said: “Who is stopping them from coming here? Nobody. They can come here and live comfortably. Many Pandits live here; when others left (in 1990), they chose to stay.”
When questioned about the community’s demand for a formal rehabilitation policy, Abdullah shifted the responsibility toward the Union government. He claimed that during his tenure as chief minister, his administration had promised to construct housing for returnees, but the initiative was stalled after his party lost power.
“Now, Delhi has to look at this,” he added.
January 19 is observed annually by Kashmiri Pandits as ‘Exodus Day’. It marks the beginning of the mass flight of the community in 1990, following a campaign of threats and targeted killings by Pakistan-backed militants.
Before 1990, the community’s population in the Valley was estimated to be about 1.4 lakh. Following the onset of militancy, over 2.5 lakh individuals were displaced, including those who fled in subsequent years. Today, only a small fraction of about 800 families or an estimated 4,000 individuals still reside in the Valley. Nearly 62,000 families are officially registered as migrants in Jammu, Delhi, and other parts of the country. (With HT inputs)
