Kashmiri Pandit activist detained in Srinagar

Jammu and Kashmir Police Friday detained the Chairman of the Reconciliation, Return and Rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits (RRRKP), Satish Mahaldar, from Srinagar Airport ahead of a proposed 'Solidarity' March.

He has been kept at the Kothibagh police station in Srinagar. Sources said he was detained as he had not taken permission for taking out the rally.

The march to be led by Mahaldar and supported by Bollywood singer Saim Bhat was supposed to start from Srinagar's Batmaloo and move through downtown before culminating at the Kashmir Press Club.

The Kashmiri Pandits have been occasionally taking out religious processions in Srinagar, but this was the first time that a joint rally with the Muslims was planned in Kashmir.

Kashmir has remained under a lockdown after the abrogation of article 370 and assembly of people continues to remain prohibited under section 144.

Though most political leaders detained after the revocation of Article 370 in August 2019 have been released, three former chief ministers continue to remain in detention under Public Safety Act.

Around 50,000 families of the Kashmiri Pandits were forced to migrate from Kashmir to Jammu and other states after militancy erupted in early nineties.

The scheme for resettling Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir was launched during the Congress-led UPA government 10 years ago, but little progress has been made on the matter.

The government has provided jobs to 3,000 members of the community who opted to return to Kashmir.IANS