Panun Kashmir questions NC, Congress, BJP on their commitment to justice for KPs

Jammu, March 09: Panun Kashmir Chairman Dr Ajay Chrungoo has taken strong exception to senior Congress leader Tariq Hameed Karra’s recent statement on the displacement of Kashmiri Pandits in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. While noting Karra’s rare acknowledgment of the community’s plight, Dr Chrungoo asserted that mere words cannot compensate for decades of political indifference.
“For decades, mainstream Kashmiri political leaders have either justified, trivialised, or outright denied the forced exodus of Kashmiri Pandits. While Karra’s statement reflects some introspection, it remains to be seen whether this is a genuine call for justice or merely political posturing,” he said.
Dr Chrungoo criticised the Congress party, alleging that it has historically been complicit in the marginalisation of Kashmiri Pandits. “While one of its senior leaders has chosen a different tone today, the Congress has never actively pursued policies to ensure justice or rehabilitation for the exiled community,” he said. “If Karra’s words are to hold any meaning beyond political point-scoring, then Congress must openly acknowledge that what happened was not just displacement but a systematic campaign.”
He said that there were high expectations from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, but with each passing year, it increasingly feels like hoping against hope. The BJP, despite its nationalist rhetoric, has continued engaging with the same political forces in Kashmir who justified or remained silent about the Pandit exodus. Dr Chrungoo directly challenged political leaders like Karra and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, asking whether they unequivocally acknowledge the killings of Kashmiri Pandits. “If they do not recognise that Kashmiri Pandits were victims of genocide, how is their position any different from that of the BJP? Political posturing cannot be a substitute for acknowledging historical truth,” he said. He also recalled the United Front (UF) government’s tenure during the mass exodus, highlighting the BJP’s outside support and Mufti Muhammad Sayeed’s role as Union Home Minister at the time. Dr Chrungoo rejected the ongoing policies of relief and rehabilitation, calling them a “smokescreen”. “Successive governments have used temporary relief measures as a way to divert attention from the real issue—the systematic annihilation of an indigenous community. These policies reinforce the erasure of KPs from their homeland while giving the illusion of state intervention,” he asserted. Reiterating Panun Kashmir’s stance, Dr Chrungoo said the continued refusal to acknowledge genocide emboldens the perpetrators and keeps the exiled community trapped in political manipulation. “If political leaders are serious about justice, they must move beyond symbolic gestures and commit to legal and political measures that hold the perpetrators accountable,” he said. “Justice for Kashmiri Pandits is not a matter of political convenience—it is a fundamental issue of historical truth, legal accountability, and national integrity,” Dr Chrungoo said