JAMMU, May 9, 2026 : Displaced Kashmiri Pandits on Saturday staged a strong protest demonstration in Jammu, demanding a comprehensive rehabilitation policy for the community in Kashmir Valley along with a fresh employment package for 15,000 educated displaced youth under the Prime Minister’s Special Package.
The protest was organized under the banner of Youth All India Kashmiri Samaj (YAIKS) outside the Press Club in Jammu, where protesters carrying placards raised slogans demanding justice, dignified return, employment opportunities, rehabilitation, and political representation for the displaced community.
The demonstration was led by YAIKS president R K Bhat, who said the Kashmiri Pandit community had once again taken to the streets to press for its long-pending demands after nearly 37 years of displacement from the Valley.
Addressing the media, Bhat appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central Government to formulate a concrete return and rehabilitation policy ensuring justice and security for Kashmiri Pandits in their “motherland.”
“We believe Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision must ensure rightful rehabilitation and justice for Kashmiri Pandits. The community wants a dignified and collective return to Kashmir,” he said.
Bhat stated that around 15,000 displaced Kashmiri Pandit youth are prepared to return to the Valley if proper employment opportunities, infrastructure, compensation, and security arrangements are guaranteed by the government.
The protesters demanded:
- A comprehensive rehabilitation package for displaced Kashmiri Pandits
- 15,000 additional government jobs under the PM package
- Compensation for overaged unemployed youth and displaced traders
- Enhancement of relief assistance from ₹108 per day to ₹500 per day
- Proper political representation and implementation of reserved assembly seats
- Formation of an Apex Committee under the Union Home Minister for rehabilitation policy discussions
The organization also appreciated the Centre and the Delimitation Commission for reserving two assembly seats for displaced Kashmiris and welcomed the move to provide representation to Kashmiri Pandits in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly through nominated members.
However, the group demanded a transparent election mechanism under government supervision to ensure fair democratic representation within the community.
Bhat criticized attempts to classify displaced Kashmiri Pandits differently under welfare schemes and stressed that the entire community should be treated as one displaced entity until their dignified return to Kashmir is ensured.
He warned that while the ongoing agitation remains peaceful, it could grow into a larger mass movement in the coming days if concrete action is not taken by the government.
The protesters reiterated that rehabilitation of every displaced Kashmiri Pandit family in the Valley remains their ultimate goal and urged the government to implement court rulings and pending commitments related to the community.
