‘It was Jagmohan who took them away saying I am going to be hard on the Muslims’
Srinagar: While speaking in a Webinar hosted by Jammu-based Epilogue News Network, the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah on Sunday demanded a probe into the 90s exodus of Kashmiri Pandits.
Abdullah blamed the former Governor of the Jammu and Kashmir, Jagmohan for the exodus saying, “It was Jagmohan who took them away saying I am going to be hard on the muslims.” Farooq said, adding that Jagmohan had promised pandits that they would be brought back into the valley within a period of three months.
In the webinar themed, “Discerning old order delineating new order – a year after neutralization of Article 370 and abrogation of Article 35 A”, Abdullah was asked whether he would support a “prevention of genocide bill” being floated by the Panun Kashmir, a Kashmiri Pandit organisation demanding a separate homeland for the migrants. To this, Abdullah replied that he will have to go into the details of the bill before commenting on it.
Demanding a probe into the exodus, the National Conference leader said, “A sincere and honest judge of Supreme Court, retired judge of Supreme Court, a team of judges… let them investigate and come out with their report. It will clear many minds around the globe, among the younger Kashmiri Pandits, that it was not Kashmiri Muslims who threw them out. There are still many Kashmiri Pandits who never left and they are living here.”
“Do you think we were happy when they (Kashmiri Pandits) were taken away,” he said, adding “we always believe that Kashmir is never going to be complete unless the Hindu brethren come back and live in peace with all of us.”
In December last year, the Panun Kashmir adopted the Panun Kashmir Prevention of Genocide and Atrocities Bill, highlighting its various demands including permanent rehabilitation based on principles of non-refoulement. Among other things, the bill recommends creation of a Board and a Commission to look into the aspects of cultural genocide and all the criminal aspects which include investigation, procedure of trial, fixing of responsibility for the crime of genocide, punishment to the perpetrators and compensation to the victims. The News18 reported.
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