Srinagar, April 12 (KNS): Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader and Ex VC JK Cements, Er Nazir Ahmad Yatoo on Sunday appealed to the Kashmiri Pandits to visit the Valley.
In a statement issue to KNS, PDP leader, Er Nazir Ahmad Yatoo said, "This is the time, our Kashmiri Pandit brothers should return back to Kashmir, their younger generations should see where their roots really lie. Every Kashmiri will make all arrangements. Whatever has happened in the past is unfortunate but now we will have to move forward," he said.
May be some Pandit brothers may say that, many of them are now settled outside, some of them with good corporate packages. But I would say its a call from your motherland "Mouj Kasheer" who asks you to come back and help in restoring back the social order which got disturbed with your unfortunate migration," Yatoo added.
"Our Kashmiri Pandits began to leave the Valley in greater numbers in the 1990s, following threats, was quite unfortunate at that time, but now they should move forward and visit back to their motherland," Yatoo said.
He appealed members of Kashmiri Pandit community to return back home taking it as a call from their own Muslim brothers of Kashmir.
Er Nazir Yatoo said Kashmir without Kashmiri Pandits is as incomplete as are Kashmiri Pandits without Kashmir. He said the joint ethos and cultural moorings of Kashmiri Muslims and Pandits even the passage of time could not erase as these are something unique in the present day world.
"One cannot differentiate a Pandit from a Muslim, culturally. Even we often have same sense of identity, style of living and other things, a Kashmiri Pandit living in Jammu is still totally different to a Jammu resident. We (Both communities) were living in each other's homes, celebrating each others festivals, an unmistakable tolerance and respect for each other, violence was unheard during those days" Yatoo said.
Yatoo acknowledged the hardships endured by the community following their exodus from their ancestral homeland back in 1989-1990. "You have suffered a lot, but the world is changing. We have to move ahead together and build a new Kashmir, don’t wait for the return of ideal conditions, we have to create these jointly,” he said.
“Everyone is fighting pandemic across the world, please come back to your motherland, we will fight it shoulder to shoulder,” Er Nazir Yatoo said adding the members of Pandit community had to leave their homes unfortunately in 90's, their Muslim brethren also suffered equally with deaths and destruction.
Yatoo said whatever facilities are needed for their betterment, like earlier they would be fulfilled again by their loving Muslim neighbours.
Such a vision of home must necessarily be anchored, a new dream of back home is possible at this time, and the work of practical must begin now, Yatoo said.(KNS)