Press Statement (Issued from New Delhi) 16 February, 2026 :Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, senior BJP & KP leader expressed deep gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his message to the Kashmiri Pandit community on the occasion of Herath-Mahashivratri. PM Modi was responded to by Chrungoo through his Tweet on X in which he thanked him for his special message meant for the Displaced Kashmiri Pandit community.
PM Modi in his message on X said, “This sacred festival reflects the rich traditions of our Kashmiri Pandit community. On this pious occasion, I pray for wellness and abundance in everyone’s lives. May it open new pathways of success and fill every home with joy and contentment”.
Chrungoo in his response on X said, “Thanks Adarniya @narendramodi Ji. Hope you remember your promises to KP community: Nominating 2 members to J&K Assembly, Enhancement of Monthly Relief pending for last 7 yrs, Clearance of Delhi government decision about AMR in Delhi pending for last 5 months in MHA and (opening) Dialogue with KPs (for their) #Resettlement”.
While it is nice to know that the Prime Minister has Kashmiri Pandit community in his thoughts particularly on the occasion of Herath-Mahashivratri, the biggest festival of Kashmir that the indigenous people of Kashmir -the Kashmiri Pandits have been celebrating unabated for the last thousands of years of their civilization and history, there is also an urgent need to take up some important issues of concern.
Despite the constitutional and parliamentary sanction, the government has ommitted to nominate 2 members from the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community to the J&K Assembly for the last one and a half years. The government in this regard should have been guided by the Supreme Court judgement in regard to nominations to the Puducherry Assembly. Moreover, no court of the country has stayed the nomination process in Jammu and Kashmir yet there is silence on the issue.
Silence in this regard speaks of apathy, neglect and biased mindset against the displaced community in J&K who stand unrepresented in the Assembly despite parliamentary approval to the J&K Reorganisation (Amendment) Act 2023. The Kashmiri Pandit community though are electorally ‘insignificant’ due to their forced displacement from their homeland, however, they continue to be a very important political issue which many vested interests would like to be diluted from the socio-political map of the J&K UT.
Secondly, it is important to remind the Prime Minister about his solemn promises made during the election campaigning in September-2024 to the displaced community. He promised to enhance the monthly relief to the relief-holders but that promise stands unfulfilled till date. Now the issue is pending for the last seven years and the matter has been recommended by the J&K government to the MHA for final approval which requires PM’s intervention.
Similarly, after a long struggle of one and a half year by the Delhi based displaced community, the Delhi government took decision in regard to streamlining the AMR to the relief holders. Now again the matter is pending before the MHA for the last five months and there is no headway seen in this context. People who depend upon the AMR haven’t received the relief for almost two years now. A simple decision at the MHA level is taking months and the sufference continues.
Over the last 35 years of exile of the community, various governments kept talking to the displaced community through their authorised representatives. But there has been complete silence for the last one decade in this connection. There should now be an open dialogue with the community in regard to their resettlement in the valley of Kashmir directly by the government of India and we appeal to PM Modi in this context to take such initiative so that new vistas are opened. The community looks up to him with hope and expectation.
The other issues also need urgent attention from the government/s and it is expected that both the central government and the UT government take appropriate initiatives. The J&K Administration for the benefit of the displaced population should implement all central schemes in favour of the displaced community in Jammu and Kashmir. In this respect, effective measures need to be taken in consultation with the government of India. Consultation processes should also be encouraged at the department level by the JK administration.
