Addressing a group of visiting Kashmiri lawyers in the capital, Bhan highlighted a significant political shift in the region. He stated that after over three decades of violence and turbulence, the people of Jammu & Kashmir have “rejected violence and consciously opted for democracy,” as demonstrated by their massive participation in the recent 2024 assembly elections. “Today an elected Government is in place and the political atmosphere appears to be relaxed,” he observed.

 

However, Bhan emphasized that a critical duty now rests with the elected representatives and the people. He called for a united and vigilant fight “against the forces of disruption and radicalism.” He urged all Kashmiris to work towards the revival of Kashmir’s great civilisational ethos—Kashmiriyat—which he described as rich, plural, democratic, and rooted in mutual respect and religious tolerance.

 

In a poignant reminder of the valley’s unresolved tragedy, Bhan underscored that the “Kashmir Valley today is incomplete with the absence of its inseparable aborigine natives, the Kashmiri Pandits.” He detailed the ongoing plight of the community, forced into exile during the insurgency-era violence of 1990, who continue to grapple with “deep insecurity, cultural erosion, and political marginalisation more than three decades later.”

 

He noted that each year on January 19, observed as Exodus Day, the community renews its demands for a safe, dignified return and meaningful rehabilitation.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelThese demands include calls for a constitutionally guaranteed homeland or demographic restoration within Kashmir to ensure permanent resettlement and protect their rights and identity.

 

Bhan revealed that community leaders have called upon the elected UT and central government to provide a concrete roadmap for return. They have also advocated for mechanisms like a Truth and Justice Commission to officially recognise the horrors of the 1990 exodus and ensure accountability.

 

Highlighting the practical challenges, Bhan pointed out that many displaced families remain in transit camps and inadequate housing in Jammu, Delhi, and other cities. Their lands and properties in Kashmir often remain unsold or entangled in bureaucratic hurdles, perpetuating a “continuing sense of uncertainty.”

 

Beyond material concerns, Bhan warned of a profound cultural toll. “Decades of exile have also taken a cultural toll — younger generations of Pandits increasingly lose touch with Kashmiri roots, language, and traditional practices, deepening fears of cultural dilution and disintegration alongside physical displacement,” he said.

 

Stating that the entire exiled population of roughly over seven hundred thousand is “longing to return to their homeland,” Bhan found a note of hope. He termed it “welcome and encouraging” that the political and religious leadership of Kashmir now publicly acknowledges that “Kashmiri Pandits are their story and Kashmir remains incomplete without their physical presence in the Valley.” (KNS)