Monday, November 19, 2018

Jammu’s ‘celebrity’ lawyer justifies exdous of Kashmiri Pandits

Saahil Suhail

Early Times Report

Srinagar, November 19, 2018: Striking a controversy and hurting the sentiments of displaced Kashmiri Pandit community, lawyer Deepika Singh Rajawat-who was removed as lawyer of Kathua rape case by the victim family recently as she failed to attend hearings of the case, Monday justified the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir valley in nineties.

In a tweet, Rajawat claimed that migration of Kashmiri Pandits proved ‘blessing in disguise’ for them.


“Most of the Kashmiri Pandits are well settled now. The only issue is their return back to Kashmir. They faced worst after migration but the plight didn’t continue for long. They handled it well and migration proved blessing in disguise for them,” tweeted Deepika Singh Rajawat.

Rajawat, who shot to fame because of Kathua rape and murder case tried to suggest that because of exodus and genocide in the 1990s which left thousands of Kashmiri Pandits homeless, was a ‘blessing in disguise’ for the community.

The lawyer, in her tweet has referred the exodus as ‘migration’, thereby implying it was voluntary and that they were not forced to live in camps, Rajawat says that ‘plight’ didn’t continue for long as “most of them are well settled now”. For Rajawat Kashmiris Pandits can’t go back to their homes is “the only issue”

Recently, a video clip showing acclaimed Journalist, Barkha Dutt also trying to justify the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits by raising the issue of economic disparity prevailing among two communities in Kashmir before nineties.

The lawyer who went on an awards-collecting spree in the aftermath of Kathua rape and murder case hasn’t shown her insensitivity for the first time.

She attended only 2 out of 110 hearings of Kathua rape and murder case because of which she won awards and got access to world’s top institutions.

In a tweet, she also made absurd remarks on ‘genes’ of nomadic tribal community when she was removed by the family as lawyer. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who confessed to have backed the lawyer, also objected on her remarks on genes.

Important to mention here, Kashmiri Pandits, were forced to flee the Kashmir valley as a result of being targeted by JKLF and Islamic insurgents during late 1989 and early 1990.

Estimates vary on the number of Kashmiri Pandits who left the Valley. According to the 2011 report of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre of the Norwegian Refugee Council, 250,000 Pandits have been displaced due to violence in Kashmir Valley since 1990.
Conversely, the government statistics maintain that around 100,000 left the Valley. According to them, there are about 60452 registered Kashmiri migrant families in the country and close to 3000 Pandits still residing in Kashmir.

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