'Kashmiri Pandits have first and natural right over territory of Kashmir'

Jammu, Jan 19: Marking 25 years of their exile, the displaced Kashmiri Pandits on Monday urged the Central government to initiate a serious dialogue with the community leadership for its resettlement in Jammu and Kashmir.

"We appeal to government of India to initiate a serious dialogue with the leadership of the displaced community for its resettlement in the valley keeping in view their geo-political aspirations," Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, President, Panun Kashmir, an organisation representing Kashmiri Pandits said.

Speaking on the 25th anniversary of the Holocaust Day today, marking their migration from the Valley in 1990, Chrungoo stated that the community has "first and natural right" over the territory of Kashmir.

"We would return only when our geo-political aspirations as per Margdarshan resolution are fulfilled through political and constitutional means," he said.

"The community was made the selected victim of terror and terrorism, murder and mayhem on a large scale resulting in its mass exodus from the valley.

"Genocide against the Kashmiri Pandit was used as a strong weapon to achieve ethnic cleansing by the fundamentalists and terrorists in Kashmir valley," he added.

Chrungoo said that diatribe against the community by separatist forces in Kashmir remains unabated despite complete banishment of the Pandits in Kashmir.

"It is the secessionist and terrorist forces who were responsible for the genocide and ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits," he said.

PTI