Jammu February 11:(KNS) The issue of the representation of the indegenous people of Kashmir, the Kashmiri Pandits, through Delimitation of constituencies is an important part of the road ahead in Jammu & Kashmir and there are expectations that the discrimination with a large portion of population in the UT will come to an end by a judicious Demlimitation process and report in the near future", said Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, senior BJP and Kashmiri Pandit leader and Incharge: Deptt of Political Affairs and Feedback, J&K-BJP.
He expressed these views in his presentation in the Webinar organised by the VASUK Group-Conferencing on the topic "Delimitation: The immediate poitical policy" today. The webinar was convened by Dr. Ritu Bakshi, the Moderator of the Group.
The webinar was attended by a number of prominent personalities of socio-political melue of the displaced community in Jammu and Kashmir and some other parts of the country including among others Utpal Kaul (GKPD), Virender Raina (Panun Kashmir), Vijay Kashkari (AIKS), Sanjay Ganjoo (JKVM), R.K.Mattoo (KHCWT, Bangalore), Arvind Shah, Shivdass Raina, Bhupinder Singh Raina, Upinder Kaul and Kamal Bagati. Every speaker opined that the successful delimitation is a part of the compatible political process in the UT.
The Resolution adopted in the Webinar said, "There has to be a forward march towards ending discrimination with the people of the UT through the intervention of the Delimitation Commission now. There can't be two opinions about the facts of discrimination and bias against the region of Jammu in respect of delimitation earlier which allotted three seats to the Kashmir valley and two seats only to the Jammu region for the parliament in addition to giving 46 Assembly seats to Kashmir and 37 seats to Jammu division. This was and remains a violation of the fundamental rights in terms of equality and equal opportunities. The Kashmiri Pandit community, which is living as refugees in its own country for the last more than three decades now, has remained unrepresented all along due to gerrymandering of constituencies in the valley".
"The members of the displaced community form a politically victimised community for no fault of theirs and the ethnic cleansing in 1989-90 has added to and multiplied their woes in this respect. A fervent appeal is made to the Delimitation Commission to exercise its powers to send such a recommendation to the President and the government of India that settles the unsettled issue of politically important concern of the Kashmiri Pandit community. It will also help paving way for the resettlement of the community in the valley, eventually, as per their geo-political aspirations in the days to come".
"We demand that five seats be reserved/nominated for the minority community of Kashmir in the Legislative Assembly of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir and also reserve and nominate one seat each in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively".
It was also unanimously resolved to send a Memorandum in this context to the Delimitation Commission urgently before its ensuing meeting on 18th February 2021.(KNS)