‘Kashmiri Pandits Will Never Return Permanently To The Valley’: NC Chief Farooq Abdullah

National Conference Chief Farooq Abdullah on Monday while marking 36 years since the 1990 Kashmiri Pandits' mass exodus, expressed skepticism about their permanent resettlement in the Valley, despite welcoming them back.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Monday ruled out the possibility of Kashmiri Pandits returning permanently to the Valley.

"They may come as visitors, but I don't think Kashmiri Pandits will ever return permanently to the Valley," Abdullah told reporters here amid ongoing discussions on the community's rehabilitation, according to an IANS report.

His remarks highlight persistent challenges in the region's security and rehabilitation efforts for the displaced Pandit community.
While extending a warm invitation to displaced Kashmiri Pandits to reclaim their homes in the Valley, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah expressed doubts about their permanent return.

Emphasising that the Valley is their rightful abode, Abdullah noted the community's integration elsewhere in India, where many have built new lives with children pursuing education and employment outside Kashmir.

His comments underscore ongoing rehabilitation challenges for the Pandit exodus amid security concerns.
Abdullah's remarks came as migrant Kashmiri Pandits marked 'Holocaust Day,' commemorating their 1990 mass exodus amid terrorist threats, though he noted many families stayed and live peacefully in the Valley.

"When will they return to Kashmir? Who is stopping them? No one is preventing them. They should come back as it is their home”, quotes IANS.
"Many Kashmiri Pandits are currently living in the Valley and have not left their villages," the former Chief Minister answered when asked about the protests by Kashmiri Pandits for return and rehabilitation to Kashmir.

Dozens of Kashmiri Pandits under 'Youth 4 Panun Kashmir' blocked the Jammu-Srinagar national highway near Jagti migrant camp on Monday evening. They demanded a separate homeland in the Valley for their return and urged Parliament to pass a bill recognising their genocide.

Responding to queries on these demands, former CM Farooq Abdullah recalled assuring the displaced community that his government would build houses and provide essential support. He noted that after his administration's fall, implementation now rests with the Central government. The protest reignites calls for concrete rehabilitation measures amid historical grievances.

NC president Abdullah emphasised that the Kashmiri Pandit community must first assess the ground situation, as many have settled across India. "They have grown older, many seek medical treatment, and their children study in colleges, schools, and universities," he said, reiterating, "They may visit, but I don't think they will return permanently."
While around 3,000 Kashmiri Pandits remain in the Valley, the majority fled in 1990, becoming refugees in their own country. The educated community endured migration's trauma, with elders yearning for ancestral lands, though the post-1990 generation views it differently.

Abdullah reflected on 'Kashmiriyat', the Hindu-Muslim brotherhood rooted in mutual respect, now undermined by Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, which struck a severe blow to Kashmir's tolerant culture despite lingering rhetoric.

(with IANS inputs)