Civil society questions demographic panel’s focus on Kashmir
Seeks assessment of LoC-displaced families and returnees
Srinagar: Civil society has questioned the priorities of the New Delhi-controlled committee on demographic changes in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, saying any credible assessment must also examine indigenous families and entire population pockets displaced from their ancestral homes along the Line of Control.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the civil society members said the committee should examine not only demographic inflows but also the displacement and outmigration of local populations caused by insecurity due to heavy militarization and prolonged shelling, particularly in areas along the Line of Control.
They said families from Jumgund, Machil, Keran, Karnah, Gurez, Uri, Poonch and Mendhar had been forced to leave their homes by the authoriteis over the years.
“The Committee must answer a simple question: what about the families who crossed the LoC because they were running for their lives?” said in a statement. They said such families had not crossed the LoC to take up arms or join militancy but to protect their children, elderly and other family members from conflict that had rendered their homes unsafe. What the authorities are doing today to bring such families back?” they asked.
They also questioned the continuing difficulties faced by Kashmiri families who returned from Azad Kashmir under the-then administration of Omar Abdullah under Return and Rehabilitation Policy. “What has the Government done for those who returned through its own rehabilitation mechanism? Why are families who came back through an approved process still struggling for basic certificates, passports and other civil documentation?” they asked.
The civil society also questioned the granting of domicile rights to non-Kashmiris who had entered the territory from outside (India).
They urged the committee to conduct a comprehensive field assessment of LoC areas and displaced communities before drawing conclusions on demographic changes in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The civil society members said an assessment that ignores families forced from their ancestral homes would fail to present an accurate picture of the demographic situation in the disputed territory.
