Trisal lambasts politics of ‘Kashyap State’

KS Correspondent

JAMMU, May 29: Veteran Congress leader and President of the All Kashmiri Pandit Solidarity Conference, Mr ON Trisal has strongly criticised the demand for so-called 'Kashyap' state, put forth by All State Kashmir Pandit Conference, a Pandit outfit. He said this demand, put forth recently, was aimed at sabotaging the thrust of the homeland demand.

At a meeting of its working committee, convened here, to discuss sinister implications of 'Kashyap State', the members of solidarity conference charged that the proposal has subversive connotations. Mr Trisal observed that the "demand is aimed at sabotaging the thrust of homeland demand". The demand has come at a time when the demand of "Homeland for Kashmiri Pandits to north and east of Jehlum" has assumed respectability both at national and international level.

The Working Committee described the demand of Kashyap state as vague and ambiguous and made in the prelude to NN Vohra's visit to Jammu. The Conference members said the demand of Kashyap state also underscores the fact that the sponsors of this demand are working relentlessly to make the politics of Kashmiri Pandits appear ridiculous and farcical. They said, "a serious effort appears to be afoot to create an impression that Kashmiri Pandits have no concrete political aspirations".

The solidarity conference warned the community members that the real brain behind the demand of Kashyap state are those who have been pursuing the politics of porous borders, shared sovereignty and limited sovereignty.

The conference members said that the irony of the situation is that those who claim to be RSS activists have openly joined hands with those forces who seek compromise with Muslim separatism. "With Hindu organisations like VHP having publicly endorsed Homeland for Kashmiri Pandits, these so-called Hindu leaders have chosen to undermine the same", said conference members.

It may be recalled that on May 23, ASKPC had passed three resolutions--seeking separate state (Kashyap State) for Pandits, constitution of district development committee for expending Central funds on migrants and launching protest against state government's apathetic attitude towards unemployed Kashmiri Pandit youth.

Sources say, that a senior Jammu-based RSS leader with strong anti-Pandit prejudices been from the very beginning trying to derail Pandits' struggle for fulfillment of their legitimate aspirations. He had been using his access to Pandit community to create multiple shadowy outfits and scuttling the agenda of Pandits' organisations. This leader had been trying to present a distorted picture about displaced Pandits' in New Delhi and elsewhere. By creating numerous cover organisations, he has been trying to project Pandits as a divided lot with no clear-cut aspirations. In 1991 he did his best to scuttle homeland demand. When he did not succeed, he engineered the first split in Panun Kashmir. It was at his behest 'SAAM-1992' was organised to oppose Panun Kashmir demand. In this jamboree all groupings with known anti-Pandit stances were invited.

The fantastic logic behind the demand for 'Kashyap State' is "Panun Kashmir is a smaller but relevant share sought for Pandits and secular people who believe in the constitution of India. But we are asking for our due share, which is a much larger area than just Panun Kashmir which is North-East to Jehlum river".

Ironically, the elements who are counter-posing 'Kashyap State' demand to that of Panun Kashmir have been in recent times tailists to politics of National Conference. On the issue of management of shrines and future of displaced students, they ganged up with leaders of NC, trying to scuttle Pandits' genuine aspirations. ASKPC has been trying to rope in all those, Pandit leaders, who have been derailing Pandits' struggle from within.

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