Mehbooba Mufti has expressed concern over the registration of an FIR against Kashmiri Pandit activists who were protesting against the implementation of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in relation to relief and ration benefits for displaced migrant families. Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Peoples Democratic Party president said the concerns raised by the Kashmiri Pandit community were based on genuine fears regarding their separate identity and status as displaced migrants, which had been recognised by successive governments over the years.
Mehbooba said that after decades of displacement, uncertainty, and trauma, the community deserved empathy and meaningful engagement instead of criminal cases for expressing its concerns.
Reacting to reports of police action against the protesters, she said the growing tendency to respond to dissent with FIRs and intimidation was worrying and harmful to democratic values.
She added that peaceful protests should not be treated as criminal acts, especially when communities are raising issues connected to their rehabilitation, survival, and legal safeguards.
The former Chief Minister said several Kashmiri Pandit organisations were opposing the move to bring migrant relief rations under the NFSA framework. According to her, many in the community fear the decision could weaken their distinct migrant status and gradually reduce the special relief and rehabilitation measures created for families displaced from the Valley during the 1990s.
She said many community members viewed the move as an attempt to convert a humanitarian issue linked to displacement into an ordinary welfare scheme.
Mehbooba stressed that the matter should be resolved through dialogue and confidence-building measures rather than police action and legal pressure.
“The pain and displacement suffered by Kashmiri Pandits is a reality that cannot be ignored. Any decision affecting them should only be taken after proper consultation with the community,” she said.
She further stated that democratic governments must allow citizens to raise concerns peacefully and warned that using police action against every disagreement only increases mistrust and alienation.
Mehbooba Mufti urged the administration to withdraw the FIR and begin transparent discussions with representatives of the Kashmiri Pandit community regarding their concerns over the NFSA implementation.