Is our blood cheaper?

New Delhi, June 20^th: On World Refugee day, a group of 100 Kashmiri Pandits organized a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar demanding that they be given the status of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) here today. In scorching heat of 44 degree Celsius, the protesters dressed in traditional Kashmiri attire draped in white to “mark the death their community members” demanded that the Government take note of their plight.

The protesters which included children and women held banners stating “Born-in-exile”, signifying their rootless upbringing.

In year 1989 the Pandits were forcibly thrown out of the Valley by Islamic Separatists backed by Pakistan. They demanded that their status as “migrants” be changed to that of “IDP’s” so that world community could take note of their plight and help the community members living in refugee camps.

“We’re not migrants, we’re refugees. We’re refugees in our own country” said a protester who refused to be identified. “When the President of Sri Lanka came to India, the Union Government and the Tamil Politicians demanded that Sri Lankan authorities rehabilitate the displaced Tamils in the war torn zone of Jaffna. We’re their own people after all, why there is no voice, no tear for us, leave alone a package from the Union Budget?” added the protester.

The woes with Indian Government and parties were visible, so was the anger towards the International Human Rights Organization Amnesty International.

“When Amnesty [International] people went to Kashmir to prepare a report on Human Right abuses on Kashmiri's [Mainly Muslims], there was not a single point on our Human Rights. Why this indifference towards us? Is our blood cheaper than that of other Kashmiri's?” asked another protester, who too, refused to be identified.

According to Government stats, 5 Lakh people were part of the forced exodus in the years leading to the height of terrorism in Kashmir. Around 50,000 are living in Delhi and NCR camps, which a protester described as “Warsaw Ghettos”.

The organizers, under the banner of Roots in Kashmir (RIK) also demanded that Government set up an enquiry commission on the reasons of forced exodus of Kashmiri Pandits.

“It seems that Government and people of India take notice of plight of the oppressed only when they take guns and make the deaf hear”. Is that a warning? “No. A word of caution” said the protester.