Mirwaiz reaches out to migrant Kashmiri Pandits, calls for their return to ancestral homes

A delegation of Kashmiri Pandits urged Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to use his moral and spiritual leadership to spearhead reconciliation efforts, given his influence across the region

Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, also Kashmir’s chief cleric, on Saturday (February 1, 2025) made a fresh move to reach out to Kashmiri Pandits who were displaced due to militancy in the 1990s.

Mr. Farooq, who is stationed in Delhi and met a number of Pandits, has floated a fresh proposal to constitute an Inter-Community Committee to bridge the gap and ensure the safe return of Pandits to Kashmir.

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A delegation of Kashmiri Pandits from the J&K Peace Forum (JKPF) also met with Mr. Farooq. During the one-and-a-half-hour-long meeting, Mr. Farooq acknowledged the shared suffering of both the communities, particularly the painful exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1989-90, a spokesman of the JKPF said.

Calling it a humanitarian issue that requires urgent attention, Mr. Farooq reiterated the need for justice, reconciliation, and unity. “Kashmir is incomplete without Kashmiri Pandits,” Mr. Farooq told the Pandits. “The suffering of Kashmiri Pandits needs to be addressed earnestly, and this has been a point I have raised repeatedly in my discourses. The younger generation must be made aware of Kashmir’s composite culture,” he added.

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The Kashmiri Pandit delegation, according to the JKPF, urged Mr. Farooq to use his moral and spiritual leadership to spearhead reconciliation efforts, given his influence across the region.

“The meeting resulted in a historic agreement to form an Inter-Community Committee under the leadership of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. This committee will represent all communities of Kashmir and will focus on facilitating the safe return of Kashmiri Pandits to their ancestral homes,” the JKPF said.

The committee will also explore government-supported rehabilitation initiatives, including the establishment of inclusive designated colonies for returning Kashmiri Pandits to help them reintegrate into society smoothly, the JKPF said.

Published - February 01, 2025 09:00 pm IST