Panun Kashmir tells Pandits to quit valley

The recent massacre of 24 Kashmiri Pandits in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir is a strong enough reason for India to attack Pakistan's terrorist camps, said outraged leaders of Panun Kashmir, an organisation that represents the Hindus of this state.

"The politicians of this country have been using the same language every time there are killings of innocent people in that state and we have come to the conclusion that they are equally responsible for the recurrent tragedies taking place in the Valley," says Ashok Pandit, zonal co-ordinator, Panun Kashmir.

Talking to Gulf News from Jammu, he said, "We have just visited Pulwama where the massacre of Pandits by terrorists occurred and will be returning after 10 days to observe religious rites in honour of the dead."

Pandit hails from Pulwama town but left the beleaguered state with his family during the resurgence of militancy in 1989.

"It is the failure of the Central and State Government that has led to terrorists having a upper hand in the state. We strongly feel that this is the right time for India to take an aggressive stand and attack. All these years, the Indian government found an excuse that they could not wage a war due to international pressure. Where is the international pressure now?" he asks angrily.

Panun Kashmir's President Dr Agnishekhar has faxed a letter to U.S. President George W. Bush that if he could attack Iraq to combat terrorism, he should also strike at the terrorist camps in Pakistan.

Panun Kashmir has appealed to around 5,000 Kashmiri Hindus still living in that state to leave immediately. However survivors of last week's massacre said they are being prevented from leaving the Kashmir valley.

"We had chartered a bus to carry us to Jammu, but it was intercepted by the police and we were brought back to our village," one of the survivors, Deepak Kumar, told reporters. On Saturday the survivors urged officials to allow them to leave.

"They were begging the police and civil officials that they be allowed to leave the village," a witness said, adding the permission was denied. Hira Lal Chatha, leader of All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference, said the people had been "held hostage."

"Those who survived the massacre do not want to stay any more in the village. But the security forces will not permit them to leave."

"We are trying to persuade them to stay on as we have upgraded the security of all the pockets where Hindus and Sikhs are living," an official said.

The chairman of Kashmir's main separatist alliance, the All Party Hurriyat Conference, appealed to the Hindus in the Kashmir Valley not to leave.

"We appeal to the Pandits (Hindus) to stay back in Kashmir. They are part and parcel of our composite culture," said Abdul Gani Bhat.

The killings have been condemned across the country. According to Medha Patkar, co-ordinator, National Alliance of People's Movements, "It is a clear conspiracy to prevent normalcy from returning to Kashmir. It is a deliberate act of sabotage by Jihadis who will go to any length to prevent Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed's efforts to bring Kashmiri Pandits back to Kashmir."

She feels this this is a calculated move to railroad the policy of "healing touch".

She added: "The scenes of the Muslim neighbours coming to help their Hindu brethren in Kashmir at this time was most heartening and we assert that this is the true spirit of Kashmiriyat, which we all need to foster and sustain."

In Mumbai, the Maharashtra State Minorities Commission headed by the Chairman, M.A.Khandwani has also strongly condemned the heinous massacre.