Srinagar, Dec 02(KINS): The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) on Tuesday lauded Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha for introducing the historic Kashmiri Pandits (Recourse, Restitution, Rehabilitation and Resettlement) Bill, 2022 in the upper house.
The Association in a statement issued to news agency KINS described the move as not merely a parliamentary procedure, but a moral and constitutional milestone for a community that has endured over 35 years of displacement, neglect, and suffering.
The Bill aims to provide comprehensive social, political, and economic rehabilitation for Kashmiri Pandits, ensure protection of their property, facilitate restoration of their cultural heritage, guarantee safety and security, and deliver a structured rehabilitation and resettlement package for the community.
Kashmiri Pandit Wing President Krishna Saproo said that this initiative marks a significant moment in India’s legislative history, as it is the first private member’s Bill with financial implications to receive the President’s recommendation. “This recognition affirms that the plight of Kashmiri Pandits is not a marginal concern, but a central constitutional responsibility of the Republic,” he added.
The Bill explicitly acknowledges Kashmiri Pandits as victims, a watershed moment in their decades-long struggle for truth and justice. The tragic events of January 1990 uprooted over 450,000 indigenous inhabitants from their ancestral homeland. By naming this reality with moral clarity, MP Vivek Tankha has restored dignity to a truth long suppressed in national discourse.
Tankha emphasized that the legislation is not charity, but a comprehensive framework for justice addressing the material, political, cultural, and existential dimensions of displacement. It envisions consolidated resettlement in Kashmir with security guarantees, reflecting the principle of return with dignity, autonomy, and constitutional protection.
He asserted that the tabling of the Bill on 5th December in the Rajya Sabha marks a historic day for the Kashmiri Pandit community. “It transforms a decades-long humanitarian crisis from a neglected footnote in Kashmir’s conflict narrative into a central test of India’s constitutional integrity,” he said, praising Tankha’s leadership for its empathy, courage, and statesmanship.
The Association expressed hope that all political parties, including the treasury benches, would rise above partisanship to support the Bill. “This is not a political favor but a constitutional obligation. Its passage would ease the long-standing suffering of thousands of displaced families. We firmly believe that parliamentary consensus will prevail, and that the concerned branches of government will ensure the Bill reaches its logical conclusion,” it added.
The JKSA expressed deep gratitude to MP Vivek Tankha for his commitment to justice and bold effort to restore dignity, security, and constitutional rights to a community long denied acknowledgment and restitution. The Association urged all political parties, including Congress and BJP, to support, vote for, and pass the Bill, emphasizing that collective backing would reflect the full weight and urgency of national legislative intent, enabling structured and enforceable mechanisms for justice and dignified return.(KINS)
