Bhopal: State govt ready to help Kashmiri Pandits resettle in J&K, says Minister

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The state government will extend help to displaced Kashmiri Pandits if they wish to go back to their native place, state Home Minister Narottam Mishra said on Monday.

Talking to reporters here, the minister, however, did not share any data of how many Kashmiri Pandits were living in Madhya Pradesh.

To a question, Mishra, who is also the state government's spokesperson, said, "I request Kashmiri Pandit brothers and sisters living in Madhya Pradesh that they should inform the home department if they wish to return (to their homeland). We will ensure and make arrangements for their return." Asked about Congress Rajya Sabha member Vivek Tankha's comments that he will not watch Hindi film "The Kashmir Files" as he knows the pain of those displaced, Mishra said, "I will request him (Takha) to provide a list of the Kashmiri Pandits in Madhya Pradesh who wish to go back Kashmir." Last week, MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had promised land to "The Kashmir Files" director Vivek Agnihotri for setting up a 'genocide museum' in the state, saying the movie shows the pain and sufferings of the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community.

However, Congress MP Digvijaya Singh had opposed such a museum, saying he will not let Bhopal's communal harmony be disturbed.

Agnihotri's film has reignited a debate surrounding the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Kashmir Valley.