H. M.’s statement in Lok Sabha
K.S.D. and stakeholders want more to be done
Kashmiri Pandits need be given Homeland
Leaders of Kashmiri Samiti Delhi, of K.P. organisations and welfare associations of the capital and N.C.R. held a discussion on the statement made by Home Minister Amit Shah, in Parliament, on February 13. He was speaking in connection with an amendment act relating to Jammu and Kashmir.
The deliberations were held at Kashmir Bhawan, New Delhi, in response to an appeal made by K.S.D. asking the activists, sacrifice-making and well-wishing leaders of the community to suggest ways and means of how the difficulties of the community, now in the 31st year of exile, can be ameliorated.
Such a significant meeting has been held in the capital after more than three decades. Despite the Covid threat in the air, prominent leaders, hailing from long distances, participated in it and presented their valuable suggestions. Some of them had come from outside Delhi. The Kashmir Bhawan’s spacious hall proved insufficient to accommodate all the guest speakers. Some of them remained standing.
In view of the importance of the event, many a senior leaders had come to disseminate their pragmatic suggestions which they had formed and practiced during their decades’ long voluntary service of the community. Issues were thrashed thread-bare. The pain of exile, suffering and the unsympathetic attitude of the authorities caused some speakers and the listeners in the audience become sentimental. They took time to regain their normal posture.
The common theme, underlying the speeches, was that there is greater need for the community to present a joint front. It was explained that K.P.s have, generally, been supportive of the policies of the present Government as they are of the view that only a decisive and patriotic regime, like that headed by Sh. Modi, can solve the nation’s problems, which include those of Kashmiri Pandits. The problems of this community can be solved only by providing it a Homeland in the valley.
The meeting, presided over by K. S. D. President Summer Chrungoo, started with a two-minute silence in memory of the community members whose death was caused by Coronavirus.
N.C., P.D.P. shouldn’t harm national interests: KPC
Shri Kundan Kashmiri, President, KPC, at a meeting, held in New Delhi, said that it is astounding that the PDP and NC a re now trying to force the Centre under different pretexts to re-start the process of dialogue with Pakistan on their dictates which is direct interference and meddling in the policies of the Govt. when a lot of change has come after August,5, 2019 , in Kashmir and both the governments at the Centre and UT JK are making all efforts to bring normalcy and development in J&K.
He added that leaders of these parties should talk within limits and not make Govt. every time answerable to them just to appease Pakistan and for their bank politics. The Central Govt. is answerable to only the people of the whole country through Parliament of India. It has been accepted and confirmed time and again that both the parts of JK are an integral part and parcel of the Indian nation and in this regard a number of resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir were passed by Indian Parliament. Among these is the resolution passed unanimously by both houses on February, 22, 1994. to take PoK back from Pakistan and the recent resolution of nullification of Article 370.
He said Jammu and Kashmir was, is and will remain an integral part of India and whole nation in particular nationalist forces are fully with the 1994 resolution passed in Parliament. It was demanded that Pakistan should vacate areas of the Indian territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which it had occupied through aggression, implying Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
He suggested that Dr. Farouq Abdullah and Mrs. Mehbooba Mufti should realize ground realities and accept the recent political and constitutional change in J&K and desist from harming the unity, sovereignty and integrity of the nation and allow the government to work for the peace and development of JK.
M. L. Kemmu’s plays translated into English
Veteran Kashmiri playwright and theatre person Padma Shri Moti Lal Kemmu wrote a large number of plays in Kashmiri and some in Hindi too. All Kashmiri plays have been translated into Hindi and other Indian languages.
It is for the first time that two of his well-known plays ‘Nagar Udaas’ and ‘Shaap’ have been translated into English and brought out under the title Two Plays.
The work has been translated into English by Pankaj Bhan, Editor Miraas, an English quarterly journal highlighting the culture and heritage of Kashmir.
The book, priced at Rs. 295, has been published by Authors Press, New Delhi.
Varsity award for R. L. Raina
Dr. Roshan Lal Raina,Vice-Chancellor at JKLU, Jaipur, is the recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Awardof his alma-mater, Panjab University, Chandigarh.For his exemplary contributions, he has, also, been recipient of other honours, like the Fulbright Award.
Research contributions of Dr. Raina include 22 authored and edited books and 240 papers in peer reviewed journals/conference-seminar proceedings.
Dr. Raina, originallly, hails from Trichal, Pulwama, Kashmir.