AIKS Advocates for Minority Status for Kashmiri Pandits in Meeting with Minister Kiren Rijiju

AIKS Advocates for Minority Status for Kashmiri Pandits in Meeting with Minister Kiren Rijiju The All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS), headed by President Ravinder Pandita, held a significant meeting with Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, in New Delhi. The dialogue centered on the AIKS's demand for formal recognition of Kashmiri Pandits as a minority community in Jammu & Kashmir.Pandita detailed the community's dual minority status within the region and broader Union Territory, while advocating for the establishment of a commission to address their needs. The meeting referenced the Supreme Court's 2018 guidance in Ankur Sharma's petition and the NHRC report by Justice Venkatachaliah, underscoring the urgency for a Minorities Commission, especially after the changes brought by the abrogation of Article 370.Rijiju expressed understanding and recommended a larger dialogue with the Home Minister to address these pressing issues. AIKS also called for the reopening of the Sharda Peeth in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, aiming to foster cultural exchanges akin to the Kartarpur Corridor. The minister assured aid for a subsequent meeting with the Home Ministry. The AIKS delegation, including notable members like Sunil Koul and Amit Raina, extended an invitation to Rijiju for their festival and presented him with cultural tokens.

The All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS), headed by President Ravinder Pandita, held a significant meeting with Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, in New Delhi. The dialogue centered on the AIKS's demand for formal recognition of Kashmiri Pandits as a minority community in Jammu & Kashmir. Pandita detailed the community's dual minority status within the region and broader Union Territory, while advocating for the establishment of a commission to address their needs.

The meeting referenced the Supreme Court's 2018 guidance in Ankur Sharma's petition and the NHRC report by Justice Venkatachaliah, underscoring the urgency for a Minorities Commission, especially after the changes brought by the abrogation of Article 370. Rijiju expressed understanding and recommended a larger dialogue with the Home Minister to address these pressing issues. AIKS also called for the reopening of the Sharda Peeth in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, aiming to foster cultural exchanges akin to the Kartarpur Corridor.

The minister assured aid for a subsequent meeting with the Home Ministry. The AIKS delegation, including notable members like Sunil Koul and Amit Raina, extended an invitation to Rijiju for their festival and presented him with cultural tokens. (With inputs from agencies.

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