Kashmiri Pandits Protest Against Relief Ration Integration
Internally displaced Kashmiri Pandits staged a sit-in protest in Jammu on Wednesday, opposing the Jammu and Kashmir administration's decision to integrate their relief rations into the National Food Security Act (NFSA). The community termed the move a conspiracy to dilute their migrant status and infringe upon their rehabilitation rights.
The protest was organized on a joint call from the United Alliance of Kashmiri Displaced Community, Panun Kashmir, and other organizations representing migrant Kashmiri Pandits. Demonstrators marched to the relief commissioner's office in Jammu, carrying placards and raising slogans against the decision.
We urge the authorities to reconsider the decision pragmatically and address the community's genuine concerns, a protester said, warning that they would intensify their agitation if their demands were not met.
Shiv Sena (UBT) functionaries also joined the protest. Manish Sahni, the party's J&K unit president, stated, The migrant status is not a government dole, but a documented proof of the atrocities and displacement faced by Kashmiri Pandits during the 1990s.
The protest highlights the deep-seated fears within the community that the integration of rations could undermine their legal recognition as displaced persons and weaken their claims for rehabilitation and compensation. The administration has yet to respond to the allegations.
