Daijiworld Media Network - Jammu
Jammu, Jan 19: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday expressed scepticism over the possibility of Kashmiri Pandits returning permanently to the Valley, saying that while they may visit, a full-scale resettlement appears unlikely.
Speaking to reporters, Abdullah said that although Kashmiri Pandits are always welcome in Kashmir and the Valley remains their rightful home, he does not believe many will choose to return for good. “They may come as visitors, but I don’t think Kashmiri Pandits will ever return permanently to the Valley,” he remarked.
He explained that decades after their displacement, many members of the community have rebuilt their lives elsewhere in the country. Their children are now settled in jobs and educational institutions outside Kashmir, making a permanent return a difficult decision.
Abdullah’s remarks came on a day when migrant Kashmiri Pandits were observing ‘Holocaust Day’ to commemorate their forced exodus from the Valley in 1990, when threats from terrorists compelled thousands of families to flee their ancestral homes.
The NC leader pointed out that not all Kashmiri Pandits left Kashmir during that period. “Many families never migrated and continue to live peacefully in their villages and localities even today,” he said, adding that no one is preventing displaced Pandits from returning. “It is their home. Who is stopping them?” he asked.
Responding to protests by sections of the community demanding rehabilitation and return, Abdullah said he had earlier assured displaced Pandits of housing and support. However, he noted that after his government fell, the responsibility to implement such proposals rested with the Centre.
On Monday evening, dozens of Kashmiri Pandits under the banner of ‘Youth 4 Panun Kashmir’ blocked the Jammu–Srinagar national highway near the Jagti migrant camp, demanding a separate homeland in the Valley and seeking parliamentary recognition of what they describe as genocide.
Abdullah said the community would need to carefully assess the present circumstances before taking any decision. “Many have grown old, some require medical care, and their children are studying in schools, colleges and universities outside Kashmir,” he said, reiterating that permanent resettlement may not be practical for most families.
While around 3,000 Kashmiri Pandits are still believed to be living in different parts of the Valley, the overwhelming majority migrated in 1990 and have since lived as displaced persons within the country. Although the older generation continues to nurture a deep desire to return to their ancestral land, younger members of the community, especially those born after the migration, often view the idea differently.
The exodus dealt a severe blow to the age-old ethos of ‘Kashmiriyat’, which symbolised communal harmony and mutual respect between Hindus and Muslims in the Valley. Though the concept is still evoked, Abdullah’s remarks underscored the lasting impact of militancy and how it altered Kashmir’s social and cultural fabric.