Panun Kashmir demands separate working group for Kashmiri Pandits

Jammu, July 29 (UNI) Describing the several Working Groups on Jammu and Kashmir as ''discriminatory and biased'' against the migrated Kashmiri Pandits, the Panun Kashmir Movement (PKM) today urged the Centre to set up a separate group entirely for the issues related to migrated Hindus of the valley.

''The whole agenda of all the five working groups, announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after the second Round Table Conference in Srinagar, is discriminatory, biased and set in tune with the appeasement policies of the centre and state governments,'' PKM's President Ashwani Kumar Charugoo told mediapersons here today.

Taking strong exception on equating the issues of rehabiliation of Pandits with Muslim youths, who had crossed over to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), he said it is ''unjust and unfair to compare return and rehabiliation of peace-loving and patriotic Pandits with those, who had gone to PoK illegally for receiving arms training to wage subversive activities against the nation.'' Mr Churangoo accused the centre and state governments of keeping mum on the issues of the Pandits' safe return to valley, ensuring return of their land and property grabbed by the unscruplous elements and their economic well-being and social status.

''Both the government are delibrately not addressing our problems and we have been forced to live in exile in our country,'' he said, adding that the PKM has prepared a 15-page report on the status of kps and their demands, which will be hand over to the Prime Minister, various political parties, intellectuals and concerned organisations in the coming days to mobilise support on the issues facing the community.

UNI RKS VD DS1530