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Fernandes for CGM to look into problems of Kashmiri Pandits
New Delhi, June 11: A day after his return from Jammu and Kashmir, Defence Minister George Fernandes today favoured establishment of a `co-ordination group mechanism` (CGM) to look into the problems faced by the Kashmiri Pandit migrants and assured them that soon a recruitment drive in Army will start for them.
New Delhi, June 11: A day after his return from Jammu and Kashmir, Defence Minister George Fernandes today favoured establishment of a 'co-ordination group mechanism' (CGM) to look into the problems faced by the Kashmiri Pandit migrants and assured them that soon a recruitment drive in Army will start for them.
This was stated by a delegation of Kashmiri Pandits, who called on him here today to express concern over the "neglect" of Pandit migrants by the Centre and the state government.
"Fernandes said that he favoured the proposal of establishment of CGM which will be shortly taken up with the Prime Minister," Sunil Shakdhar, president of the Kashmiri Samiti, Delhi, told reporters after the meeting and added that among other issues, the group should also define the category in which these displaced people fall.
He said the defence minister has also assured the leaders that he will convene a meeting between the Prime Minister and the representatives of the minority community.
"He also assured that to meet the employment demand of the community, he will ask the Army to recruit persons from them," Shakdhar said.
Demanding that they should be declared as "internally displaced persons" and not migrants, the Samiti leaders said they welcomed the move of the Central government to issue identity cards to the community members.
Other demands included fool-proof security to be provided to those community members who were still in the Kashmir Valley and other confidence building measures for the return of the displaced Pandits.
Bureau Report
"Fernandes said that he favoured the proposal of establishment of CGM which will be shortly taken up with the Prime Minister," Sunil Shakdhar, president of the Kashmiri Samiti, Delhi, told reporters after the meeting and added that among other issues, the group should also define the category in which these displaced people fall.
He said the defence minister has also assured the leaders that he will convene a meeting between the Prime Minister and the representatives of the minority community.
"He also assured that to meet the employment demand of the community, he will ask the Army to recruit persons from them," Shakdhar said.
Demanding that they should be declared as "internally displaced persons" and not migrants, the Samiti leaders said they welcomed the move of the Central government to issue identity cards to the community members.
Other demands included fool-proof security to be provided to those community members who were still in the Kashmir Valley and other confidence building measures for the return of the displaced Pandits.
Bureau Report