Kashmiri Pandits ask govt not to withdraw AFPSA from state

Lalit K Jha
Washington, Oct 3 (PTI) Scores of Indian-Americans,
mostly Kashmiri Pandits, held a demonstration in front of the
Indian embassy here, asking the government not to withdraw the
Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFPSA) from the Kashmir
Valley.
Organised by the Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP) and
Indo-American Kashmir Forum, a political advocacy group, the
demonstrators urged the Indian government not to succumb to
any pressure from any quarters for diluting or withdrawing the
Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFPSA).
In a memorandum submitted to Indian Ambassador to the US,
Meera Shankar, the protesters, including children, urged the
union government to constitute a high-power committee under
direct authority of the Prime Minister to address the issues
of displaced Kashmiri Hindus.
Calling on the Indian government to declare Kashmiri
Pandit community as Internally Displaced People (IDP), the
protesters, who had come to Washington from various parts of
the US including New York, Boston and Houston, demanded
that investigating agencies and courts be directed to expedite
prosecution cases against those terrorists who have been
charged with Kashmiri Pandits' killings.
The memorandum urged the government to grant funds to
Kashmiri Hindus for the preservation and documentation of
relics of Kashmiri Hindu heritage and culture and hand over
the management of Kashmiri Hindu religious shrines, icons and
cultural centres to the community leadership after restoring
them to 1989 or pre-exodus conditions.
Adapa Prasad, OFBJP-USA President, claimed that the
continuation of the government's "appeasement" policies
towards Kashmiri separatists is encouraging them to push their
agenda of 'Talbanisation' of Kashmir. PTI LKJ
HMI