Kashmiri Pandits Integral to Valley’s Cultural Fabric: Farooq Abdullah

Srinagar, June 12, KNT: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday described the Kashmiri Pandit community as an inseparable part of the Valley’s cultural ethos and called for collective efforts to defeat what he termed vested interests seeking to create divisions between communities.

According to a party statement, Abdullah made the remarks while addressing a delegation of Kashmiri Pandits at his Srinagar residence. He said Kashmiri Pandits were “part and parcel of our cultural milieu” and that society in Kashmir remained incomplete without them. He noted the community’s longstanding association with scholarship, literature and intellectual pursuits.

Referring to the turmoil of past decades, Abdullah said that despite conflict and displacement, the tradition of brotherhood between Kashmiri Muslims and Pandits had endured. He acknowledged the suffering of Pandits living away from their homeland, while also stating that Kashmiri Muslims had borne significant losses during the years of unrest.

The National Conference president emphasized that unity between the two communities had historically withstood attempts at disruption. He said the majority of Kashmiri Pandits desired to live alongside their Muslim brethren in the Valley and rejected divisive ideologies aimed at communal polarization.

Abdullah asserted that Kashmir belonged equally to Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims and termed both as rightful stakeholders of the land. He said efforts had been made during the government led by Omar Abdullah to introduce employment schemes aimed at facilitating the return and rehabilitation of Pandits in the Valley. However, he alleged that the momentum was not sustained by the subsequent BJP-PDP government.

He said that once in power, his party would renew initiatives to ensure the dignified return of the community to their homes.

Earlier, Abdullah visited Asaar e Sharief Shahri Kalashpora where he offered prayers for peace and prosperity in the state. He later travelled to Ganderbal to express condolences to the family of late Zafar Ahmad Bhat, son of former MLA Maqbool Ahmad Bhat, who died in a recent accident. He offered Fateh for the deceased and conveyed solidarity with the bereaved family. [KNT]