Jammu, Jul 07: “The Non-Migrant Hindu minority community families who chose to remain in Kashmir during decades of conflict are facing increasing marginalisation, targeted exploitation, and cultural erosion,” Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Girdhari Lal Raina alleged on Monday.”Despite being praised in political rhetoric for their resilience, this minuscule community continues to be overlooked in practice. For decades, successive administrations have failed to provide even basic welfare, leaving these families economically impoverished, socially isolated, and emotionally devastated,” Raina, according to a statement issued here, raised these issues with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.He said, “A critical aspect of their suffering stems from the near-total absence of a social and institutional ecosystem sensitive to their specific needs. The indifference of the administration is not only appalling but has taken a deep toll — not just economic, but physical and psychological.”Raina said the particular concern is the growing vulnerability of the community’s youth — especially young women — to targeted exploitation by radicalised and anti-social elements. “Poverty and isolation have made them easy targets for coercive conversions disguised as voluntary acts. The recent case of a girl from Looswani, Pulwama highlights this alarming trend,” he said. “These conversions, often induced through manipulation, deceit, or false promises, are being dismissed as ‘personal choices’ by the system. This reflects a dangerous blind spot in acknowledging the structural coercion at play.”The BJP spokesperson said the community leadership has now demanded the introduction of legislation akin to the anti-conversion law in Uttar Pradesh, citing an erosion of trust in the existing legal and institutional mechanisms.The following urgent demands have been presented to the Government of India and the Jammu & Kashmir administration:
- Immediate restoration of the girl from Looswani, Pulwama, to her family.
- Official recognition of the Non-Migrant Hindu minority community as a vulnerable and special category requiring targeted welfare and protection.
- Establishment of dedicated support systems to address economic, educational, social, and emotional needs.
- Robust investigation and monitoring of targeted conversions involving coercion or manipulation, with swift legal action against perpetrators.
- Consideration of legislative safeguards against exploitative conversions while upholding constitutional values and religious freedoms.
Raina warned that failure to act may have far-reaching consequences, even affecting those recruited under the Prime Minister’s Employment Package — individuals seen as symbols of reconciliation. “If their safety and dignity cannot be assured, the purpose of their presence in Kashmir will be defeated,” he said. “This is no longer just a policy issue. It is about saving a fading legacy and upholding the very idea of pluralism in Kashmir.”
