New Delhi,– The All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS) has expressed gratitude to Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha for raising the issue of Kashmiri Pandit rehabilitation during Zero Hour in the Upper House of Parliament.
In a statement, AIKS President Ravinder Pandit welcomed the move, appreciating how the resettlement concerns of the community, including the demand for the reopening of Sharda Peeth in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), were brought up by an opposition MP in Parliament.
The intervention follows a meeting between AIKS representatives and Vivek Tankha on January 21 in New Delhi, where the delegation urged him to highlight these critical issues in the ongoing session. Tankha, the only MP of Kashmiri Pandit origin in Parliament, had previously introduced a three-day bill in 2022 in the Rajya Sabha, focusing on KP issues and the reopening of the Sharda Peeth Corridor.
During Zero Hour, speaking on Question No. 15, Tankha emphasized the urgent need for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits and reiterated the demand to reopen Sharda Peeth, which has remained inaccessible for 75 years due to its location across the Line of Control (LoC). He urged the government to take concrete steps to ensure the safe return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley.
“The government must take steps to bring Kashmiri Pandits back to the Valley,” Tankha stated, underscoring the community’s long-standing struggle for justice and resettlement.
The AIKS has called for continued efforts to push these demands forward and urged lawmakers across party lines to support measures for the dignified return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits.
