SRINAGAR: The displaced Kashmiri Brahim Hindus or Pandits can return to the Valley as the local Muslims are not averse to their home coming.
Claiming this, Rouble Nagi, a member of the panel of community leaders of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) said on Thursday said it is now for these Kashmiri Pandits to decide on their return to the Valley, the place they fled to escape harm after the Kashmiri separatist campaign burst into a major violence in 1989-90.
“I do not think that today, there is any negative attitude among Kashmiri people (Muslims) to not welcome Kashmiri Pandits. There are a few steps that have been taken for their return and now the choice is theirs. They have to make a choice whether they want to come here or not,” Ms. Nagi, who is also the founder of Rouble Nagi Art Foundation (RNAF), told reporters here.
After touring various areas of the Kashmir Valley during her five-day visit, Ms. Nagi said that as far as safety and security of Kashmiri Pandits is concerned, “everything is very peaceful and good in the valley”. Suggesting to move forward in a positive direction, she said, “I would say that what has happened, should be forgotten and focus should be on what will happen in the future. Today, we are not a fanatic country because in India, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists and Jains all live together”.
She said that during her visits to various areas in the Valley’s Baramulla, Kupwara, Srinagar, Kulgam, Pulwama, and Anantnag districts she met delegations and social activists representing minorities such as Sikhs, Christians, Kashmiri Pandits, and Ahmadiyas. “They were assured that their concerns, ranging from daily challenges to cultural preservation, will be prioritized,” she said. She added, “Kashmir is the crown jewel of India’s unity in diversity. Ignoring any community weakens the cultural fabric of the region. Regional integration, enhanced connectivity, and collaborative efforts have paved the way for development, particularly benefiting eco- and cultural tourism in Kashmir.”
She further started, “India is flourishing, our economy is booming, we are building roads and bridges. We have built huge bridges and underpasses in the sea in Maharashtra. We have to see how we can collectively take our country forward.”
Replying to a question about a recent US panel report on minorities in India, Ms. Nagi said killing somebody in the name of religion is not acceptable. “To kill anyone for any reason is not acceptable, because violence or killing is not something that can be forgiven or should be forgiven. It is not that the Muslims living in Kashmir have not faced such things, it is not just that Hindus, Pandits, Sikhs or Christians have only faced that.”
