Centre prepares to rehabilitate Kashmiri Pandits
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke in Kargil on Tuesday about rehabilitating Kashmiri Pandits in the valley, his administration has already begun to walk the talk. As Union Minister for Home Affairs Rajnath Singh informed Parliament on Monday, the Government is currently working with all stakeholders, including the Government of Jammu & Kashmir and representatives of the Kashmiri Pandit community, to finalise the contours of a new return and rehabilitation package. Few details are available in the public domain about this package — we know that the Government plans to give about Rs 20 lakh to every Kashmiri Pandit family to rebuild homes in the valley, and that Rs 500 crore has been allotted to the project in the Union Budget. However, as Mr Singh mentioned on Monday, the State Government has sent back a revised estimate of Rs 5,820 crore. Some have complained that these efforts are not enough,given that, realistically speaking, it is still too early for the Kashmiri Pandits to start planning their journey to their ancestral homes. While that may be true, the fact remains that the Modi Government, which has been in office for less than three months, has taken several brisk steps to push the project towards its logical conclusion — and in the process, also fulfill one of the Bharatiya Janata Party's biggest electoral promises. Moreover, those demanding immediate results should keep in mind the Manmohan Singh Government's failed efforts in this regard from 2008. At that time, the project made little progress due to poor coordination between New Delhi and Srinagar, despite the fact that UPA members were in charge in both capitals. The necessity of a carefully planned project that brings stakeholders on the same page to ensure effective implementation, is crucial.
Also, the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in the valley is not a process that can be rushed. It will only be successful if the Governments, both at the Centre and in the State, provide a safe and secure environment for the Pandits to return. This is easier said than done, given the geo-political realities of Kashmir. Though the valley is much quieter today than it was in the 1990s, when militancy was at its peak, it is hardly a haven for peace and stability. The recent controversy over the Kausar Nag Yatra highlights not only the continuing threat Muslim separatists pose to the Hindu community but also the importance of a strong state mechanism that will not capitulate before the Geelanis and the Yasin Maliks in the valley. Also, it is equally important to ensure the economic security of the returning Kashmiri Pandits. For this, all-round economic development in the region, and indeed in the State, is essential. If the Pandits go back without these conditions secured in their favour, carrying only bagloads of cash, they will end up living in ghettos in the valley, and be possibly more vulnerable than they were earlier. This would be no solution.