Jammu, Feb 19: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday said that return of Kashmiri Pandits with full dignity and security is the commitment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Jammu Kashmir has been undergoing a profound transformation since 2019. Sinister plot of adversary to destroy the dreams and destiny of people of the UT has been decisively dismantled. Through tireless effort, this land's ancient glory has been restored, and development has been accelerated. Very soon, this soil will be completely freed from the scourge of terrorism,” the Sinha said.
He was speaking at the release of the book titled “Kashmir-Nativity Regained”, authored by Prof. Ashok Kaul.
“Kashmir-Nativity Regained” explores the Kashmiri Pandit exodus and captures the terror of those dark days and the lasting devastation of being wrenched from ancestral roots,” he said.
Sinha said that Prof Kaul's book is not just a literary endeavour but laudable effort to shatter the silence that has shrouded our collective consciousness for decades.
“I salute the indomitable spirit of Kashmiri Pandit Community. Every displaced family carried within them a living ember of Kashmir. In the crucible of struggle and adversity, they preserved philosophy, spirituality, culture, language, and traditions. Even in agony, they unearthed possibilities and scaled new pinnacles of success,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor highlighted that in 2021, Kashmiri migrant web portal was launched to recover house and lands of Kashmiri Pandit community, which were encroached upon by others.
“I firmly believe that among the world's gravest sorrows is the agony of becoming a stranger on one's own soil. This is precisely what had transpired in Jammu & Kashmir. The anguish of the 1989-90 massacre of Kashmiri Pandits by terrorists runs so profoundly deep that even the balm of time has failed to soothe it. The torment of abandoning homes overnight, of being uprooted from one's roots, lingers like thorns in the veins of displaced families even today,” he said.
Sinha said that terror ecosystem in J&K tried to bury the truth but we can never forget and never forgive those terrorists and their support networks who sowed terror and struck at the souls of generations.
“The younger generation must never forget that Pakistan-backed terrorists have also spilled the blood of thousands of innocent Kashmiri Muslims. Many cases are so heartrending that words falter in their retelling. Justice has begun flowing to those families since last year, with efforts underway to fulfil their employment needs alongside other essentials,” he said.
Sinha stated that in August 2019 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi abolished Article 370 and fully integrated J&K, that day instilled the faith that the young generation of Kashmiri Pandit Community could reclaim those roots without fear.
“Prof Kaul's book serves as a poignant reminder of Kashmiri Pandit Community's resilience. This is an era of reconstruction. Through his words, Prof Kaul proclaims to the world that the Kashmiri Pandit community is at the very heart of J&K's narrative,” he said.
Prof. Umesh Rai, Vice Chancellor, University of Jammu; Rajiv Jha, Publisher, Readers Press; Prof. Neelu Rohmetra; Dean Research Studies; Dr Neeraj Sharma, Registrar, Jammu University; eminent literary personalities, people from different walks of life and students attended the book release ceremony.
Ramesh Kumar, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Bhim Sen Tuti, IGP Jammu; Dr Rakesh Minhas, Deputy Commissioner Jammu and other senior officials were also present.
