Sir — This refers to the article, “Of friends, Indians and countrymen in Kashmir” (March 9) by Joginder Singh. The writer has struck an appropriate note by stating that nobody has the right to expel those who don’t believe in the faith of the majority, though in a secular country like India everybody is free to profess their faith. Unfortunately, in Kashmir, such an expulsion did happen in 1989-990 with the Kashmiri Pandit community, under a well-drafted plan designed and executed by elements within and outside Kashmir valley, and with the tacit approval of certain political parties and leaders.
The plan was executed to perfection, so much so that that today, the entire Pandit community, with very few exceptions, leads a miserable life outside the valley. It seems that, ignoring vital concerns of the State’s development, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed seems more concerned with the welfare of the separatists. His agenda could serve the purpose of putting the brakes on the rehabilitation of the Kashmiri Pandits. New Delhi should be wary of the Mufti’s plans, which he seems to be doggedly pursuing.