Kashmiri Pandit’s body seeks “One Place Settlement”, calls for recognition of genocide

Policharcha.com | Updated: March 22, 2022, 1:12 PM

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Global Kashmiri Pandit diaspora (GKPD) seeks “One Place Settlement”, calls for recognition of genocide

In a bid to rehabilitate millions of people who fled Kashmir due to persecution in 1990, the Global Kashmiri Pandit Diaspora (GKPD), which is a civil society movement, plans to demand a “one place settlement” in the valley from the Government of India. GKPD also termed the exodus of Hindus from Kashmir as genocide and ethnic cleansing, and seeks the recognition of the same.

"We request the GoI to look into our demand of 'One Place Settlement'. We would like to have a city of our own, and for that, we have also prepared a document,” said GKPD co-founder Surinder Kaul in a Press Conference held on Monday.

Highlighting that there are more than 10 lakh Kashmiri Pandits who want to go back to their home, Surinder Kaul also said that recognition of the “genocide” is the first step in granting justice to the persecuted community.

“We are also in talks with the town planners regarding this. In the last two years, I have met many people and gathered information on how Kashmiri Hindus can go back," he further added.

The GKPD has come up with the proposal, considering the nationwide attention the displaced community has been receiving due to the release of 'The Kashmir Files'.

Talking about the proposed settlement, Kaul said discussions were also held on setting up universities, colleges, and houses to “make Kashmir a paradise again.” He also added that the proposed settlement will be based on Hub-and-Spoke model. 

“In monetary terms, the total loss bore by the community was in the tunes of $35 billion. The government and all political parties have said repeatedly that everything will be fine, and we all will go back to our home, but nothing has happened in this regard, and our people no longer have homes. 20,000 houses were burnt, whereas several other houses were occupied. We do not even have the addresses of the houses," he said.

About ‘Kashmir Files’

Expressing its support for the ‘Kashmir files’, GKPD asserted that said true incidents have been shown in movie. “The Kashmiri Pandit community appreciates director Vivek Agnihotri for bringing his artistic creativity to give form to the cry for justice of the Kashmiri Pandits. He has shown exemplary courage in doing so,” said GKPD in a statement.

The GKPD also maintained that the feature film is not promoting any hatred as doing that is not its purpose. Kaul said that it was GKPD which requested Vivek Agnihotri to make this film, and introduced the latter to more than 700 victims for testimonials. The global Kashmiri Pandit body said that it provided the director with logistical support, but no funds were given by the former in making of the film.

It was also stressed that the movie could not show everything that was happened with the community in its entirety because of the laws pertaining to film screening in India. Only 10 per cent of what has happened to us is shown in the film," said Surinder Kaul.

Furthermore, he added that the film should not be viewed from a Hindu-Muslim perspective.

"The film is not about Hindu-Muslim polarisation. We are not against any society. This movie shows the failure of the system. The truth related to history can be painful,... but it does not mean that you should stop teaching history," he said.