Frontline

April  2000
Human Rights



Resolution on Involuntary Displacement caused by Political Violence in Kashmir

(Adopted at the PUHR convention)

This convention voices grave concern for the forced displacement of over 4 lakh Kashmiris from the state as a result of the political violence over the past decade. Of this, 3 lakhs are of the Kashmiri Pandit, Dogra and Sikh communities and the rest are Kashmiri Muslims. The first lot of forced migrations of 1.5 lakh Pandits took place within 48 hours after the first burst of militant activity in December 1989–January 1990. All communities have suffered acutely as a result of the political violence and brutal state repression in that state, forcing many to a life of refugees in other parts of India. Kashmiri Muslims have also been affected suffering loss of life, state brutality and the indignity of their children being flogged in public if they do not support militant activity.

But the forced migration of the Kashmiri Pandit, Sikh and Dogra communities from the Valley has been along communal lines, their plight being made even more acute because of the suddenness with which they have been forced to depart. The resultant loss of personal property has been significant. Relief and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs and Dogras has been sidelined and ignored with most of the migrants forced to live under inhuman conditions in cloth tents called refugee camps. The five major such camps are at Nagrota and four other places in Jammu and two such camps in Delhi.

Demands for decent housing in pucca cemented camps have been made but ignored by the political establishment. Living in refugee tents has taken a sharp toll of life and health with the extreme temperatures (0 degrees in winter and 45 degrees in summer) in Jammu.

As relief, each family has been granted Rs.1,200 per month plus free ration grains from the Indian government. Their decade-old demand made to the United Nations for refugee aid as has been granted to Afghan refugees settled in India has been ignored. Such a status would get them $500 per family per month in refugee aid. A litigation has been pending on behalf of Kashmiri Pandits in the Supreme Court.

This convention resolves to raise the issue of all Kashmiri refugees, including Kashmiri Pandits, involuntary forced out of the state due to political violence in the last decade. The issue of adequate relief and rehabilitation to them also needs to be actively campaigned for.

This convention also condemns the increasing brutalities of the Jammu and Kashmir police and the Indian armed forces on the people of the state while also condemning the terror and violence unleashed by violent militant organisations. The combination of state brutality and violent terror has resulted in the severe curtailment of human rights of the people of the state. Schools and colleges do not function normally, neither do hospitals or other basic civic services. Most parts of the state live in a near–perennial state of curfew. The solution of the Kashmir issue demands political will which has been sorely lacking on the part of the Indian state. Without a political solution, it is unlikely that the ‘Kashmir problem’ can be wished away.

 



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