Pigeons for the cats: Mehbooba's analogy to underscore risk of settling Kashmiri Pandits slammed by Opposition

J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti is at the centre of a huge controversy after her “cat and pigeon” analogy – aimed at underscoring the risk of settling the migrant Kashmiri Pandits straight away in their native villages – was picked by the opposition parties and separatists to score political points.

“Is it possible to settle them (Kashmiri Pandits) directly in the villages…? Inshallah (God willing) I will bring them back with respect and honour to live together. When situation becomes normal they can go to their villages be it in Ganderbal, Anantnag or Baramulla… This time, however, we cannot throw them like pigeons before the cats. How is it possible?” Mehbooba said while winding up discussions on motion of thanks on Governor’s address in the Legislative Assembly on Saturday afternoon.

Main opposition National Conference reacted sharply and sought an immediate apology from the chief minister for “demonising and defaming Kashmiris through her contemptuous and highly inappropriate cats and pigeons analogy”.

“Mehbooba has defamed and demonised Kashmiris by inferring that they are allegedly some sort of killers and hunters and Kashmiri Pandits are unsafe in their company and hence need to be isolated from them. It’s tragic that a chief minister could stoop to this level in her maiden address in the Assembly,” said its spokesperson Junaid Mattu.

Mattu said Mehbooba should apologise to the people for her remarks and also bear in mind that she is no longer electioneering, to distort the truth and lie at will.

“She is the chief minister of this state and we expect a basic amount of wisdom and restraint from her. Mehbooba should know that both Kashmiri Muslims as well as Kashmiri Pandits have been the victims of violence and she cannot portray an entire community as culprits and demons. This is extremely regrettable and tragic on her part,” he said.

Separatists too have jumped onto the bandwagon to hit out at Mehbooba for what they said 'defaming' Kashmiris to “please her masters”.

“We reject and condemn her statement. She is defaming Kashmiris and trying to please her masters in Delhi and RSS. We have always said there is no threat to Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmiris. If they have any threat, it is from the 10 lakh security force personnel deployed here... like the killings of Sikhs in Chattisinghpora village (in March 2000),” said Ayaz Akbar, spokesman of hardline Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

Migrant Kashmiri Pandits, however, asked the chief minister to spell out who are the cats and who are the pigeons. “She should spell out who is the cat and who is the pigeon? Am I a pigeon? If she is saying separate colonies will be made for Kashmiri Pandits, does that infer that I am a pigeon. Is she addressing Kashmiri Pandits after 26 years as pigeons?” asked Vinod Pandit, chairman, All Parties Migrants Coordination Committee (APMCC), an apex body of migrant Kashmiri Pandits.

Earlier, Mehbooba made a strong pitch for return of Kashmiri Pandits saying those who want to come back shall have to be provided transit accommodation till they are able to resettle at the native place.

“We can’t force them to go back to their native places and put their lives to risk. Kashmiri Pandits shall have to be provided transit accommodation till their permanent settlement at their native places. Fifty per cent of transit accommodation will be provided to Pandits and rest 50 per cent to migrants of other faiths, including Muslims and Sikhs,” she said.

Official figures reveal that around 41,117 migrant families from Kashmir are registered in Jammu and 21,000 others in Delhi and other states. Of the total migrant families living in Jammu, 37,128 are Hindus, 2,246 Muslims, 1,738 Sikhs and five others. The return of the Kashmiri migrants to valley is a part of the Centre's Rs 1,618-crore package, announced in 2008.

“The government has incurred Rs 321.948 crore for providing cash assistance to Kashmiri migrants from March 2014 to April 2016. An amount of Rs 18.76 crore was also incurred for providing food grains to the migrants registered under relief category in Jammu,” said Syed Basharat Bukhari, J&K minister for revenue, relief and rehabilitation.

Under relief category, the government is providing monthly cash assistance of Rs 2,500 per person, subject to maximum of Rs 10,000 per family. In addition, these families are provided ration, rice nine kg per person per month, atta two kg per person per month and sugar one kg per family per month. “Under the package, Kashmiri migrants who propose or intend to return to their original place of stay can avail financial assistance of Rs 7. 50 lakh for construction of house,” said Bukhari.