Kashmiri Pandits appeal to Int community to probe massacres

Srinagar, Jan 28 (UNI) Appealing to the International Community to intervene and probe massacres and disappearances of Pandits and Muslims in the valley during the past 19 years of turmoil, the Kashmiri Pandit Sangarsh Samiti (KPSS) said findings of probes ordered by the government into Human Rights violations should be made public.

A statement by the KPSS, an organisation of Kashmiri Pandits, here today appealed to the International community to come forward so that those behind the massacres are brought to book.

They also demanded that disappearance of members of Pandit and muslim communities in the valley during the turmoil period should also be probed.

It said the state government had ordered probes into the killings of community members at Sangrampora, Wandhama, Teewalni, Pethbugh, Hugam and Nadimarg during 1997-2003.

However, no finding was made public, it said adding due to these massacres majority of pandits, who were living in the valley even after mass migration took place in late 1989, left Kashmir. The number of pandits, which was 32,000 in 1992 was reduced to 9865 in 2003, the statement said.

It said that 1.5 kg of gold ornaments recovered by police at Nadigram, as was claimed by then Director General, was not returned to victims.

The KPSS criticised the police for failing to bring the killers to book. It was unfortunate that Kashmiri leadership also failed to raise their voice against the Human Rights (HR) violations faced by the minority community.

The statement said a delegation of KPSS paid homage to Wandhama victims, who were killed on January 26,1999.

UNI BAS LS HT1722