Hindu Council UK (HCUK) in association with The Indo European Kashmiri Forum (IEKF) organised a well attended conference at the Brent Indian Association, Wembley in London, to welcome Moti Kaul, Vice President-BJP Jammu & Kashmir as the chief guest of the conference. The prominent and distinguished participants of the conference were Bob Blackman MP, Virendra Sharma MP, Councillors, Human Rights Lawyers, members of the Kashmiri Pandit/Hindu community and members of various other key Hindu Organizations.
While welcoming Moti Kaul and the audience, Krishna Bhan-President IEKF, gave appreciation and thanks to Moti Kaul for taking time to address the audience regarding the issues and concerns of displaced Kashmiri Pandits/Hindus.
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Chuni Chavda-IEKF Executive Member, gave a detailed introduction of Moti Kaul to the audience and highlighted his tireless hard work for his community.
Sanjay Jagatia-Secretary General of the HCUK appraised the meeting about the work that IEKF & HCUK has done and continues to do to raise the plight of our Kashmiri Pandit brothers and sisters. Sanjay Jagatia made reference to David Ward MP’s adjournment debate for the Jammu and Kashmir Self Determination Movement in Europe in Parliament 18 months ago. Further, he said that the IEKF & HCUK had prepared a Briefing document that was sent to all British MPs to give the viewpoint of the Kashmiri Pandit/Hindu Community. He also gave an update on the forthcoming UK delegation’s visit to Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir.
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Moti Kaul in his address gave the audience a detailed report of the community’s tragic and traumatic 26 years in exile. He stated it was complete ethnic cleansing and the destruction of 5000 years of history. Successive Governments and Administrative Set-ups have played havoc with the lives of this miniscule ethnic minority. Overnight, Pandits were made homeless and refugees in our own country. Our homes, properties, lands, businesses and possessions were destroyed and illegally grabbed. Even the Temples and Shrines and the associated properties were not spared. This unprecedented and tragic exodus having happened in an Independent India was shameful.
Moti Kaul made it emphatically clear that as part of the BJP Manifesto, and action on the ground, BJP is committed to a dignified and permanent resettlement of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley, as per their collective aspirations. The Community is grateful to BJP and in particular to Indian Prime Minister-Narendra Modi and his leadership for taking up our issues and concerns.
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No one has the right and no one can dictate to the Pandits, the original inhabitants of Kashmir and State Subjects, as to where , when and how they would like to get resettled in the Valley.
In his concluding address Moti Kaul conveyed his gratitude to IEKF & HCUK for organising this conference with the representatives from various socio-cultural organisations.
Bob Blackman MP, explained that India always loses the propaganda battle whereas Pakistan wins it, and gets worldwide sympathy and support, even though it supports terrorist organizations. He said that there is a need to engage in a long term programme with British MPs about the truth and justice for Kashmiri Pandits/Hindus. The illegally occupied areas of Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistan should be returned to India. Bob Blackman MP gave a detailed account of his visits to India and to the State of Jammu and Kashmir in the recent months and his interaction with the Government Officials and the local people.
Virendra Sharma MP pledged his full support to the displaced Kashmiri Pandit/Hindu community and to their dream of resettlement back to their homeland. Virendra Sharma MP also offered to work closely with our organizations to address the concerns and issues of the displaced community.
The conference was followed by an interactive questions and answers session. The questions included :-
- Article 370 and its impact on the resettlement of the Kashmiri Hindus
- The status of Internally Displaced Persons for the displaced community
- Establishment of smart townships for displaced Kashmiri Pandits
The money allocated from the Government of India for the displaced community doesn’t go to the grass root organizations but it ends up from one government to another.
These questions generated very interesting and lively discussions for an hour.
Krishna Bhan
IEKF & HCUK