[Reader-list] Less than 3,500 Pandits left in Kashmir valley

[S. Jabbar]

7 million? 


> From: Pawan Durani <pawan.durani at gmail.com>
> Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2010 09:38:26 +0530
> To: reader-list <reader-list at sarai.net>
> Subject: [Reader-list] Less than 3,500 Pandits left in Kashmir valley
> 
> "A Seven million community reduced to three thousand by Jihadis &
Islamic
> fanatics"

http://sify.com/news/Less-than-3-500-Pandits-left-in-Kashmir-valley
> -news-National-kdxtabhbiji.html


Less than 3,500 Pandits left in Kashmir
> valley

2010-03-23 19:00:00
A massive demographic change has taken place in
> Kashmir valley which
now has a mere 3,445 Kashmiri Pandits left as against
> more than
380,000 in 1990, Jammu and Kashmir Revenue Minister Raman Bhalla
> said
Tuesday.

Making the disclosure in the state legislative assembly, the
> minister
said that 'only 808 families of Kashmiri Pandits were living in
> the
valley' and the total number of men, women and children of the
community
> there 'is 3,445'.

Bhalla said that most of the Kashmiri Pandits had fled the
> valley in
1990 because of fear of militants. 'The killing of community
> members
led to a fear psychosis in the community,' he said, adding that
> 219
Kashmiri Pandits were killed in 1990.

Though the minister did not specify
> it, the number of the families
living in the valley included 31 families of
> Kashmiri Pandits living
in a protected zone in Sheikhpora in Budgam district
> and also the
officials working in the banks and central government departments
> and
organisations. Their exact number is however not known.

More than 350,000
> Kashmiri Pandits had fled the valley in 1990.

Those who stayed back, migrated
> after massacres of the community
members in Sangrampora in Budgam district in
> March 1997, Wandhama in
Ganderbal, near Srinagar, in January 1998 and Nadimarg
> in south
Kashmir in March 2003.

Kashmiri Pandits are now mostly living in
> Jammu and Udhampur within
the state, and in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and
> Maharashtra.

Bhalla, however, reiterated the state government's resolve to
> bring
the community back to the valley. He said that work is on to
> construct
the transit accommodation for them in the valley, where they would
> be
housed before their original properties are restored to them.

Prime
> Minister Manmohan Singh has announced a Rs.1,618 crore relief
and
> rehabilitation package for the return of the Kashmiri Pandits to
the 'land of
> their grandfathers and great grandfathers,' during his
visit to Jammu April
> 25, 2008.
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