Kashmiri pandits raise their voice for separate townships in J&K

NEW DELHI: Distressed over the long wait of 25 years to go back 'home', displaced Kashmiri pandits yesterday staged a protest at Jantar Mantar demanding immediate steps for their rehabilitation and accused both state and central governments of doing nothing to facilitate their return to the valley.

Wearing black badges and bands as a mark of protest, Kashmiri pandits raised the slogan 'We want our homeland' and also asked the Centre and the Jammu & Kashmir government to bring a 'white paper' on what they have done so far for their rehabilitation.

The protest came a day after the opposition National Conference said they wouldn't allow J&K government to form separate townships for them.

The protest — 'We protest, 25 years of exile, 25 years of denial' — was also supported by a music band to encourage the demonstrators. "We want separate townships for ourselves. We will fight until our demands are fulfilled," said Sarla Taplo, whose husband lost his life during the exodus in 1990.

They also demanded prosecution of all those involved in the killing of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990s. "Those cases must be reopened and the culprits should be hanged," said Karan Kaul.

As the memories of the brutal past haunted many, some protesters felt that getting back to their homeland is still a distant dream.