Kashmiri Pandits should return with respect, says Mehbooba Mufti

Jammu: Asking displaced Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) to pray for peace on Mahashivratri, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said on Wednesday that the peace will remain elusive unless and until Pandits do not feel that they will be able to live in the Kashmir Valley “again”.

“Even after we hold talks (with Pakistan), reopen roads between two sides, Kashmir will remain incomplete and peace in Kashmir is incomplete, unless and until KPs do not feel that they will able to live in Kashmir again,” Ms Mufti said.

“That is real test to us,” the chief minister told Kashmiri Pandits at the Jagti camp. “Please pray on holy night of Shivratri to create peace in Kashmir so that all migrants could return to their homes and hearths with respect and dignity,” she said.

“It is big need of the time that you return back to your roots with respect”, Mehbooba said. “Kashmir has lagged behind due to your migration from the Valley. You were our assets. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs –all are big treasure of brotherhood and composite culture,” she said. “We lost it in Kashmir, it has come up in Jammu,” she added.

People of different religions live here (in Jammu). People speaking Dogri, Kashmiri, Gojri, Punjabi and Ladakhi live here. But we lost this composite culture in Kashmir”, he said.

Mehbooba said “one of my KP brother was saying that Government of India should be pressed to commence dialogue with Pakistan. Even after we hold talks with Pakistan, reopen roads between two sides, Kashmir will remain incomplete and peace in Kashmir is incomplete, unless and until KPs do not feel that he will able able to live in Kashmir again. That is real test to us.”

“I know you have lot of problems. I would have come earlier, but situation became worst last year –four to five months passed off very badly,” she said. The Chief Minister said, “You may have many problems but there is huge mental stress among people in Kashmir. You may be feeling the difficulty due to this barbed wire, but Kashmir is laid with such wires. It is we Kashmiris who are responsible for that. We are responsible for this.”

“When we cross Jawahir tunnel towards Jammu, the mind opens and we become free but in Kashmir, people are under huge stress. We have created the situation ourselves,” the CM said.