Govt duty to protect Kashmiri Pandit properties and shrines till return, says Omar Abdullah

• CM backs legal protection for Pandit shrines, seeks community consensus
• Omar says safe and dignified return of Kashmiri Pandits remains priority
• Private member’s bill on Pandit shrines withdrawn after CM’s assurance

Jammu, Apr 1: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said it is the responsibility of the government to protect the properties, land and religious shrines of displaced Kashmiri Pandits until conditions are created for their safe and dignified return to the Valley.

The Chief Minister made the remarks in the Legislative Assembly while opposing a private member’s bill moved by National Conference MLA Arjun Singh Raju, which sought better management, protection, administration, and governance of Kashmiri Hindu shrines and religious places in the Union Territory.

Addressing the House, Omar Abdullah said no one can deny the painful reality that Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave the Valley and settle in Jammu and other parts of the country under extremely difficult circumstances after their security was severely compromised. He said their return cannot be expected unless a genuine and lasting sense of safety is restored.

The Chief Minister noted that since 1990, successive governments at both the Centre and in Jammu and Kashmir have repeatedly expressed their commitment to facilitating the dignified return of Kashmiri Pandits, but acknowledged that the required conditions for such a return are still not fully in place.

He said that until that time comes, the government remains duty-bound to safeguard the properties of the displaced community, especially their religious places and land. Referring to earlier measures, Omar Abdullah said that after the 1996 elections, when the National Conference formed the government, a law was introduced to prevent distress sale or transfer of Kashmiri Pandit properties so as to ensure their protection.

The Chief Minister also observed that while films and public narratives on the plight of Kashmiri Pandits continue to receive attention, another important aspect often remains underreported. He said that in the absence of Kashmiri Pandits, many local Kashmiri Muslims in different areas had protected and preserved temples, reflecting a less acknowledged side of the region’s social reality.

He assured the House that all necessary steps would be taken to keep these religious institutions and properties intact. At the same time, he underlined that differences within sections of both the Hindu and Kashmiri Muslim communities on the issue of such legislation remain a challenge.

Omar Abdullah said the government is prepared to bring a law on the matter, provided there is a broad consensus within the community. He cautioned that moving ahead without such agreement could create further divisions rather than offering a lasting solution. Recalling his own earlier experience, he said that when he had introduced a similar bill while sitting in the opposition, sections of the Kashmiri Pandit community had opposed it, arguing that it was not in their interest.

Following the Chief Minister’s assurance and detailed response, legislator Arjun Singh Raju withdrew the private member’s bill in the House.