New Delhi, June 20: Addressing a joint meeting of human rights activists, law students, and Kashmiri Pandit refugees on the eve of World Refugee Day, Senior Supreme Court lawyer and prominent Kashmiri leader Ashok Bhan delivered a poignant message highlighting the plight of Kashmiri refugees who have been displaced for over three decades.
Bhan lamented the violence that forced hundreds of thousands of Kashmiri Pandits to flee their homeland, rendering them homeless and rootless. “It has been thirty-five years of living in exile, enduring colossal miseries, trauma, and harsh living conditions,” Bhan remarked, underscoring the urgency of addressing their plight.
“The Union government has palpably failed in the last decade to plan a structured return and rehabilitation of refugee populations back to their homes in Kashmir,” Bhan criticized, emphasizing a national consensus and overwhelming societal support in Kashmir for the return of Kashmiri Pandits. “Kashmiris beseech Modi 3.0 to prioritize the ‘Gharwapsi’ (return home) of native Kashmiri population,” he urged.
World Refugee Day, designated by the United Nations to honor refugees globally, serves to spotlight the strength and courage of those forced to flee violence, conflict, or persecution. It falls annually on June 20th and aims to mobilize political will and resources to support refugees in thriving, not just surviving.
“Kashmir is incomplete without the physical presence of Kashmiri Pandits,” Bhan said, echoing the sentiments of many Kashmiris yearning for reconciliation and restoration of their communities.
World Refugee Day is marked by various events worldwide, engaging refugees themselves, government officials, host communities, and the public in activities that foster support and awareness.