Intercommunity communication paramount for bringing Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims together: Mehbooba Mufti

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New Delhi: Asserting that the Kashmiri Pandits are an integral part of Kashmiri society and their dignified return was one of the unfinished agenda of her party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday (December 8) stressed on community-based reconciliatory efforts in order to bridge the gaps.

Mufti, while addressing a gathering of members of Kashmiri Pandit community in Delhi, said that Kashmir was incomplete without Pandits and that the greater and constant communication between them and the Muslims is paramount to bridge the gap.

“Kashmir is incomplete without you (Pandits). You are part of our culture and existence. Believe me that you are always missed back home. Your exodus has hurt us too and we want you to return in a dignified manner,” Mufti told the gathering.

She urged the youth of the two communities to be at the forefront of initiatives of reconciliation underlining that youth alone can make any such effort sustainable to yield desired results.

“The new generation from both Kashmiri Muslim and Kashmiri Pandit community has had no interaction and thus don’t know much about each other. The distance between us has only grown. If we want to make headway in community reconciliation, our youth have to interact and know each other better,” she said.

Underlining how the pain and suffering of KP community have been weaponised by some political parties while doing nothing to help them and see their dignified return to the valley, Mufti said that a deliberate and concerted effort is being made through hateful television debates to further the wedge between the two communities.

“A sinister design is in play to deepen the fault lines between the two communities in furtherance of communal and divisive agenda. They want us to hate each other. A deliberate attempt is being made to widen the gap and create an atmosphere of hate at the cost of community interests,” she added.

The members of the KP community appreciated the efforts and initiatives started by PDP patron late Mufti Mohammad Syeed for the community and pledged to contribute to initiatives aimed at bringing the two communities closer and facilitate greater communication. KP community members residing across various pockets of Delhi & NCR participated and former president of Dubai KP association also submitted a list of issues concerning minorities.