Jammu, April 15: Panun Kashmir Tuesday convened an emergency meeting at Jagti, Jammu, bringing together senior leaders of the organisation to express grave concern over the inordinate delay in the disbursement of monthly relief by the Relief and Rehabilitation Department. The delay has triggered widespread anxiety and mental distress among the displaced Kashmiri Hindus, particularly at a time when families are struggling with educational admissions and the elderly are in urgent need of funds for critical medication.
Addressing the gathering, Bushan Lal Bhat, senior Panun Kashmir leader, strongly criticised the administrative machinery for its callousness. He said the delay in releasing relief to genocide-displaced families is nothing short of institutional cruelty. “We are not asking for favours, we are demanding what is rightfully ours. The bureaucratic delay has pushed many to the edge, especially those who are solely dependent on this amount for their survival,” he said.
Bittu Ji Bhat, a prominent Panun Kashmir leader known for his tireless grassroots activism, delivered a powerful address. He stated: “This delay in relief disbursement is an assault on our dignity. It is deeply painful that the government expects genocide survivors to beg for their own sustenance. The parents of young students are unable to pay admission fees, the sick are without medicine — how long do they expect us to suffer in silence? We will not allow the system to strip us of our last shred of dignity.” He called for urgent intervention from the LG Manoj Sinha and appealed to the community to remain united and alert.
Chand Ji Pandita, another senior functionary of Panun Kashmir, highlighted the psychological toll of this delay. “The trauma of exile is only made worse by the uncertainty of basic sustenance. The community has shown remarkable resilience, but this continued neglect tests our endurance.” Sanjay Raina, Panun Kashmir activist and organiser, remarked that such treatment of genocide survivors is unacceptable. He said, “Delays like these are a grim reminder that the state still doesn’t treat us as equal citizens. The relief is not a gesture of sympathy — it is a constitutional obligation.”
Satish Ji Pandita, while lending his voice of support, said the issue is symptomatic of a larger problem — the complete lack of urgency in addressing the needs of displaced communities. He demanded time-bound disbursal mechanisms to prevent such repeated occurrences. Ravi Ji Raina concluded the meeting by calling for the immediate release of pending relief and warned that failure to do so would compel the community to consider peaceful demonstrations. “We have always upheld the values of democracy and justice. But justice delayed repeatedly is justice denied permanently.” The meeting ended with a strong resolution demanding immediate disbursal of relief and a clear response from the authorities. The leaders unanimously agreed that Panun Kashmir will not stay silent in the face of such continued apathy.
