Jammu, Oct30: Panun Kashmir’s visit to the fire-affected families in Purkhoo was led by a full team of senior leaders, including General Secretary Kuldeep Raina, Organizing Secretary B.L. Kaul, and Satish Sher, who were joined by several other key figures within the organization.
Together, they represented a unified call for immediate intervention and relief for the families devastated by the recent fire.
The leaders spoke at length with Rakesh Koul, Sanjay Kumar, Pardeep Singh, Lucky Koul, and Retu Devi, each of whom has led their family through years of hardship in these dilapidated one-room tenements, now left in ruins by the October 29th fire.
Alongside Raina, Kaul, and Sher, other Panun Kashmir leaders emphasized that these families had already been living in distress, struggling with overcrowded, unsanitary conditions that offered minimal protection. This fire, they stressed, has left them with nothing but their lives, urgently calling for government support.
Satish Sher condemned the lack of preventative measures that led to this tragedy. “For years, the vulnerability of these families has been known, yet no action has been taken. Now, we are seeing the results of this neglect firsthand.”
Organizing Secretary B.L. Kaul reiterated that Panun Kashmir would not only push for immediate aid but also demand a long-term plan to ensure that all displaced families, especially in settlements like Purkhoo, are given secure, humane housing. “The government must take this as a wake-up call,” Kaul stated. “These families need not just temporary relief but a lasting solution to their displacement.”
General Secretary Kuldeep Raina, addressing the community’s plight, expressed deep concern over the living conditions that had already left these families vulnerable long before the devastating fire. “These families have endured years of hardship, forced to live in cramped, deteriorating tenements. This fire has taken from them what little they had left,” Raina stated. He emphasized that Panun Kashmir will not rest until these families receive the relief and dignified rehabilitation they deserve, urging the government to take swift, meaningful action.Raina also highlighted the need for better safety and infrastructure in all Kashmiri Pandit settlements, stressing that no family should have to face such tragedies due to preventable hazards.
