Separate homeland demand for Pandits gets right wing backing

Several right-wing organisations from various states on Friday backed the demand for creation of Union Territory in Kashmir valley for displaced Kashmiri Pandits for their rehabilitation and breaking the state into four parts.

At a convention here to mark the 27th anniversary of exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley due to militancy, all the delegates endorsed the demand of Panun Kashmir organisation for creation of UT in Kashmir valley to the North and East of River Jhelum along with rehabilitation of all Kashmiri Hindus living all over India, Pramod Muthalik, founder of Sri Ram Sena, told reporters here.

Muthalik, who had shot to limelight after an attack on a pub in Mangalore a few years back, addressed a joint press conference along with Tapan Ghosh, a firebrand nationalist ideologue from West Bengal, Charu Dutt Pingale, a social and cultural activist from Maharashtra, Ramesh Shinde, founder of Hindu Jagruti Samiti, Murli Sharma of Odisha-based Bharat Raksha Manch, Radha Krishen of Shiv Sena and Agnishekher, convener of Panun Kashmir.

"We demand the Reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir into 4 parts, separating Jammu and Ladakh and creating a union territory of Panun Kashmir," Karnataka-based Muthalik said.

He said that all leaders who attended the three-day convention will carry forward the "Ek Bharat Kashmir Kee Aur" and educate people about the struggle of Kashmiri Hindus and goal of Panun Kashmir.

All delegates resolved to mobilise the whole nation at the grassroots level in support of creation of Union Territory of Panun Kashmir, said a statement issued after the meet.

The delegates have taken stock of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and are alarmed by the drift which is taking place in the state away from India, the statement said.

"Separatist sentiment is pervading the entire political class and mainstream political parties are now brazenly supporting the separatist objectives one way or the other," it said.

It further said that the Situation has drifted to the extent, that even the state legislative assembly is being used for giving flip to separatist interests.

The delegates wanted to remind the whole nation that more than 6 million Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists are living in J & K and there is a grave conspiracy to present their numbers far less than the actual, the statement said.

"We all will mobilise opinion against the demographic assault in the whole nation and in rest of the world," it said.