Srinagar, Dec 6 (JKNS): The displaced Kashmiri Pandit community has expressed deep disappointment after the “Recourse, Restitution, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2022,” drafted by Hon’ble Member of Parliament Sh. Vivek Tankha, was not taken up for discussion in the Rajya Sabha on December 5, 2025, despite being listed at Serial No. 1 on the agenda.
“We deeply appreciate the sincere efforts of Sh. Vivek Tankhaji in drafting this crucial bill. However, we are deeply hurt that it was not discussed for reasons unknown. We had eagerly hoped that the Bill would finally address our long-pending issues on humanitarian grounds,” the community said.
Ravinder Pandita, President of AIKS, who was present in the Public Gallery, expressed his anguish: “I witnessed the proceedings yesterday, only to be disappointed. Even Shankaracharyas had extended their blessings through a public statement.”
The community has once again appealed to the Government of India to address the long-pending issues of recourse, restitution, rehabilitation, and resettlement of Kashmiri Pandits, who have been without a permanent home for the last 36 years.
“It has been 17 years since the Parliamentary Committee headed by the late Sushma Swaraj submitted its report, yet it continues to gather dust,” they added. They further stated that the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs is reportedly forwarding recommendations to the Ministry of Home Affairs for consideration and expressed hope that the matter will be taken up in the Upper House again.
Reiterating their plea, the displaced community urged the Government of India to help them reclaim their ethnic roots that have enriched India’s ethos, culture, and philosophy for millennia. (JKNS)
