Manmohan applies balm on migrants

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said it had pained him to see Kashmiri Pandits, who had made great contributions to Indian thought and civilization, living as hapless refugees in their own country.

Published on: Nov 19, 2004, 01:46:00 IST

PTI | By Neeraj Santoshi, Jammu

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said it had pained him to see Kashmiri Pandits, who had made great contributions to Indian thought and civilization, living as hapless refugees in their own country.

The PM visited the Muthi migrant camp on Thursday. The camp houses more than a thousand Kashmiri migrant families.

Manmohan Singh, who is the first Prime Minister in the last 15 years to visit the camp, said he had come to share the pain of the migrants. "I am completing my sixth month as Prime Minister. In these months, I wished to come to you and apprise myself of your problems and difficulties. It pained me to see so many members living in such small rooms today."

Terming his visit to the migrant camp as the beginning of a new chapter, Singh said the UPA government would work sincerely towards mitigating their problems. The government would construct two-room sets for Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu and Delhi, he added.

Terming as genuine the demands of Kashmiri Pandits — permanent rehabilitation, jobs, compensation for their damaged houses and temples, minority community status— the PM said: "I also accept your demand of sending an inter-ministerial team from the PMO to this place, to assess your requirements in employment, education, health and rehabilitation".

Earlier, the Muthi migrant camp, which houses families who have lost their kin to terrorism, was abuzz with hope that the PM would announce some special package. Schoolkids dotted the path of the PM's route holding placards listing their demands.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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