Why can’t non-Kashmiris buy land in J-K, asks BJP MP Hukumdev
The Lok Sabha today adopted a resolution asking the government to immediately rehabilitate Pandits and address the plight of people who had migrated from West Pakistan but did not enjoy citizenship rights.
The Lok Sabha urged the Centre to take immediate steps for rehabilitation and welfare of displaced persons from Kashmir.
Taking part in a resumed discussion on a private member resolution moved by BJP member Nishikant Dubey on March 20 on immediate steps for rehabilitation and welfare of displaced persons from Kashmir, BJD member Bhartruhari Mahtab backed Dubey and went on to seek an addendum.
“I will say those who migrated in 1948 and those migrating after that should be settled. They may be settled in Jaipur or in parts of Rajasthan or in some other part of the country, but they have the right to go back to the Valley,” he said. This was passed by the House.
BJP member Hukumdev Narayan Yadav urged the Centre to do the needful for rehabilitation and welfare of displaced persons from Kashmir. “Why can no other Indian go to Kashmir, buy land and settle there?” he questioned.
Prof Saugata Roy of the Trinamool Congress pointed out that displacement of Pandits was one of the issues that the BJP had used politically in the past by saying earlier governments were so weak that people were displaced inside their own country. He urged the government to implement the resolution.
Roy said it was a matter of shame. He said at the beginning of militancy in 1990, there were 75,343 Pandit families. He said they had reduced to 651 families by 2008 and now, 60,000 Pandit families had been registered with the government.
“It is indeed pathetic that even after one and a half years of formation of the new government led by the BJP at the Centre, not a single family has returned to Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
In a reply, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said more than Rs 1,500 crore had already been allocated by the Centre for rehabilitation of Pandits.
