Highest authority in UPA got Kashmiri Hindu Shrines Bill stalled: Rana

Jammu, Dec 27: Making a sensational disclosure that highest authority in the UPA had intervened to get the Kashmiri Hindu Shrines and Religious Places (Management and Regulation) Bill stalled. BJP leader and former legislator Devender Singh Rana Monday said there was nothing uncomfortable in the legislation except preservation of the valuable religious treasure of Kashmiri Pandits back home in the Valley.
“I say it on record that sustained efforts were made to stall the passage of the Bill”, Mr Rana said while paying tribute to Pandit Prem Nath Bhat on Chetna Diwas here this afternoon organized by Pandit Prem Nath Bhat Memorial Trust. The gathering was addressed by Swami Kumar Ji and Justice(retd) Sunil Hali. Ashok Koul, Organizing Secretary BJP, was the presiding guest on the occasion.
He said the machinations against the Kashmiri Pandits did not end up with their horrible exodus at the gun-point but it continued thereafter too with slogans like ‘honourable and safe return’ becoming a fashion statement for all those donning the mantle of governance. They did nothing except delivering emotive slogans without any substance, he added.
The BJP leader however lauded the resilience and assimilative character of the brave community which weathered all storms with fortitude. He described the forced exodus of the entire ethnic community from their homes and hearths as one of the major tragedies of the twentieth century and sought Truth & Reconciliation Commission under a retired Supreme Court Judge to find out the circumstance leading to commission of human rights violation of such a magnitude.
“Ethnic cleansing of aborigines from their land of ancestors is unheard”, Rana observed, saying it is a matter of concern for people to become refugees in their own country.
Rana wondered why the pain of lakhs of displaced people has not evoked the conscience of the self-styled champions of human rights for over three decades, saying silence of convenience by activists and self proclaimed liberals explodes their duplicity and double standards. He even questioned the selective silence of the UNHRC which remains at tenterhooks on each and every issue. He also took on the people, attributing the exodus to, what they say, conspiracy hatched by a former Governor, asking why Pandit Prem Nath Bhat was martyred on this day in 1989 when Mr Jagmoahan was not in the scene at all. He said such allegations unfortunately provide shield to Pakistan and her lackeys who perpetrated the exodus under a well-knit strategy rolled out by General Zia-ul-Haq in his notorious and infamous Operation Topac. Subjecting Kashmiri Pandits to acquisitions is like sprinkling salt to their wounds, he observed, lamenting this should not have happened to the civilised community whose contribution to intellectual and educational emancipation to societies and generations has been immense.
The BJP leader lauded the grit and determination of the Kashmiri Pandits, saying they showed the entire world how pessimism in the wake of their engineered wilderness can be transformed into optimism by achieving excellence in the most competitive world. It is heartening that the enterprising boys and girls of the community have made their intellect and presence felt in the corporate sector globally. However, he agreed that the situation is not so rosy as many KP youth are struggling for sustenance even now. The society and the government at large have to chalk out a strategy to ensure better living conditions for these hapless youth and the displaced families. He said the Centre seems to be taking several initiatives in this regard, adding that socio-economic empowerment of the community is impossible without political empowerment. He hoped this would merit consideration by the designated authorities.