On Saturday, September 26, 2020, the fast-unto-death by Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti chief SanjayTickoo, completed seven days. Tickoo had begun the fast after the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory administration failed to act despite multiple representations demanding urgent relief for the minority Hindu community in the region.
Earlier on Wednesday, the KPSS had released a series of direct orders, including some by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), that had been allegedly ignored by members of the Disaster Management Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (DMRR&R) Department. In a press statement the organisation had alleged, “Officers and officials of DMRR&R have hijacked the entire relief and rehabilitation of Non-Migrant Kashmiri Pandits / Kashmiri Hindus under some vicious and sadistic agenda and are misleading their superiors and media. Despite Two Parliamentary Standing Committees recommendations, three speaking orders/judgments from Hon’ble High Court in different petitions and two recommendations from the Ministry of Home Affairs mean nothing to DMRR&R.”
It is noteworthy that despite the forced exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the region in the late 80s and early 90s, even today 808 families remain, living in over 200 locations across the Valley. At least 150 of them are Below Poverty Line (BPL) families, struggling for food and medical care.
Unemployment is a huge concern, despite a 2016 J&K High Court order to implement employment schemes for eligible youth. It is the non-implementation of these schemes that have exacerbated the suffering of the community as it directly impacts their economic condition.
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KPSS begins fast-unto-death
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