Restore special status: Kashmiri Pandits

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 27

Ahead of the completion of a year of the abrogation of Article 370, a body of displaced Kashmiri Pandits today demanded the restoration of J&K’s special status and statehood.

“We demand immediate restoration of statehood and special status to J&K. The Indian Constitution ensures right to equality that extends to individuals, communities, religions, regions and all social and political institutions. The right to equality does not only ensure non-discrimination on the basis of religion, caste, region or any other social and political sub- categories. Never before a state has been downgraded. This is not done in a democracy. One can’t have a military solution to a political situation and can’t go to war with their own people,” said Satish Mahaldar, chairman of the Reconciliation, Return and Rehabilitation of Migrants.

Mahaldar had led a delegation of Pandits to the Valley twice last year and stated that 419 displaced families were ready to return to Kashmir. Besides meeting the Hurriyat and civil society, the delegation had also turned up at the Mela Kheer Bhawani in the form of a yatra in June 2019 to give a positive message.

He pointed out other states too enjoyed special status for the protection of their cultural and economic interests. “The special provisions should be to safeguard the interests and aspirations of the backward regions, to protect cultural and economic interests of the people, safeguarding the minorities and to deal with the disturbed law and order in some parts of the state. It is not that J&K was the only state with special status. Other states, too, enjoy special category status. A wide range of provisions are available to 10 states that have been listed under Articles 371, 371-A to 371-H, and 371,” he said.