From: Anandiben
Patel <anandibenpatel@yahoo.co.in>
Date: Thu, Jun 3, 2010 at 5:54 PM
Subject: Regarding Appointment.
To: koshur.samchar@gmail.com
Cc: osd2cm@gmail.com
Shri Avtar K. Kaul,
General Secretary, Koshur Samchar
Koshur
Samchar,
Kashmir
Bhavan, FB-4,
Near E Sector
Water Tank,
Sterling
City, Bopal,
Ahmedabad 380
058, INDIA
With reference to your mail / Letter dated 17/04/2010, addressed to Hon'ble Chief Minister, Government of Gujarat, it is requested to contact Hon'ble Revenue Minister at office on any Monday or Tuesday between 11-00 am to 5-00 pm.
The Office is at Block No.1, 6th Floor, New Sachivalaya, and Gandhinagar.
Please confirm your arrival on Contact No.: (079) 23238077, 23243331.
(J.D.Desai)
Add. PS to Hon'ble Minister, Revenue, R&B, WCD,
Sachivalaya, Gandhinagar.
No. GG/08/001 June 14, 2010
Smt.
Anandiben M. Patel
Honourable Minister for Revenue,
Disaster Management,
Roads & Buildings Capital Project,
Women & Child Welfare
1st Block, 6th
Floor
Sachivalaya, Gandhinagar
Gujarat.
Subject: Kashmiri Migrants in Gujarat
Respected Madam,
We are a social cum cultural organization of Kashmiri Pandits living in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.
As you are aware Kashmiri Pandits, were the only Hindus living in the valley of Kashmir since the times immemorial, were forced to leave their homes due to the grooming of Islamic fundamentalism across the borders and Pakistan’s open support to Islamic terror. Exodus of Kashmiri Hindus/Pandits happened around the years 1989/90.
Prior to exodus, there were hardly 30 families of Kashmiri Pandits in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, and after the exodus we are around 300 families in the twin cities now. Further, some more of us are settled in the vibrant cities of Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Ankleshwar and Bhuj as well.
Registration as Migrants
In other states, including the union territory of Delhi, most of Kashmiri Pandits are registered as “Migrants” to avail of the reservations in educational institutions, monthly relief, rations for the unemployed and the needy, besides housing for those who have become homeless. The members of our community in Gujarat have to go to Jammu in J&K and put our request with the Relief Commissioner there for a Migrant Certificate. This is a lengthy, expensive and a time-consuming process.
We have to request you that for technical reasons and for posterity we be registered as migrants from Kashmir on the basis of the details consolidated and provided by us. This would benefit us in the matter of obtaining of migrant status certificates from a competent authority in Ahmedabad and other major cities of Gujarat appointed by you. This will enable us to avail of any assistance and the support the Central or State Government decides to provide us, besides the reservations in educational and professional institutes. The Central Government has been contemplating more than a hundred crore assistance to help us out of the difficult times.
It is 21 years since the exodus. Many families came to Gujarat to earn their living by working in various government and private industries and establishments. During this period it was more a struggle for existence as refugees in our own dear country. As we look back, we find that during this period we have not only lost our homeland but also our culture, social customs and language. In addition there is a feeling of rootlessness besides, loneliness amongst our senior members who are unable to adjust to the new environment.
Land for housing cooperative of the Migrants
Koshur Samchar is promoting a cooperative housing scheme for Kashmiri Pundits in Ahmedabad so that the members of the community can stay at a single location so that we are able to maintain our cultural and social customs, the children grow up learning our heritage and the old people have a language bond with other residents.
Gujarat has been kind to many communities who have been persecuted in their homeland starting with Parsis. We are sure it will show the same kindness to the small Kashmiri community here.
We are looking for about 25,000 sq. yds of land around Ahmedabad to make dwellings for about 150 families and a 5000 sq. yd plot for building our Kula-Devi Temple which will also house a community hall, an old age home and facilities for social and cultural activities.
Our community is not a rich one; we are basically salary earners with limited resources. The price of land around Ahmedabad increases every day and is beyond the reach of our members. We have; therefore, to request you to allot us land in the western part of Ahmedabad area at a reasonable cost. This favour from Gujarat Government would go a long way in reducing our sufferings as refugees in our own country.
Migrant quota in Professional Colleges
Every year one seat is reserved for a Kashmiri Migrant Student in all the Engineering Colleges of Gujarat like government, government aided and private colleges. While our students are able to take admission in the government and the aided colleges, many return disappointed, as they cannot afford to pay the fees in Private Colleges. We, therefore request you to reserve one seat in each faculty of the engineering colleges so that our future generation is able to stand on their own.
We are sure the Government of Gujarat will consider our above three humble requests favorably and make us the refugees in our own country face the difficult situation.
With sincere regards,
Avtar K. Kaul
Gen. Secretary, Koshur Samchar
Email: koshur.Samchar@gmail.com, avtar.k.kaul@gmail.com