Panun Kashmir, an organisation demanding a separate Union Territory in the Kashmir Valley for displaced Kashmiri Pandits, on Thursday flagged the growing health crisis and worsening infrastructure in migrant camps in Jammu. They said the situation is making life extremely difficult for the families living there. Jammu has five migrant camps where around 40,000 Kashmiri Pandits are currently living.
The organisation expressed concern over the widening gap between birth and death rates in the community. They said the shrinking population reflects the long-term impact of displacement, trauma and years of neglect.
" We are here to present an urgent assessment of the worsening humanitarian, civic and existential challenges facing the displaced Kashmiri Hindu community in different migrant camps in J&K," senior Panun Kashmir leader Bhushan Lal Bhat told mediapersons at a press conference.
"The quality of drinking water has declined dangerously, resulting in an alarming rise in kidney failure, liver complications, and other serious health disorders among camp residents," he said.
Bhat said this is no longer simple neglect but a slow-moving public health disaster. "The government must step in before the damage becomes irreversible," he said, highlighting broken civic infrastructure like leaking roofs, damaged bathrooms and unhygienic surroundings.
He also pointed out that basic connectivity remains poor, with the road from Kandoli Mata to the national highway and internal roads inside the camps left unrepaired for years.
On the issue of livelihoods, he flayed the long delay in allotting shops to eligible families. He said such administrative indifference has deepened the economic struggle of displaced households.
Talking about what he called a “demographic crisis,” Panun Kashmir leader Nitin Dhar said, “When births decline, and deaths rise year after year, it is the clearest sign that a community is being pushed towards extinction. This should shake the conscience of the state.” He demanded immediate implementation of the enhanced cash assistance promised by the prime minister, saying the delay has added unnecessary hardship.
He also raised the issue of a severe shortage of teachers in government higher secondary schools serving the camp areas, calling it a direct blow to the education of displaced children.
Talking about the PM’s Employment Package for displaced Kashmiri Pandits, Dhar said employees under the scheme are being treated like hostages on supernumerary posts. He said the administration is treating them “unjustly” in the positions created for them.
Advocate Vishva Ranjan Pandita highlighted the broader legal and structural issues behind the crisis. He said the failure to restore parks, community areas and basic public facilities shows a deeper institutional apathy towards displaced families.
He also urged the government to recognise the “genocide” of Kashmiri Hindus, saying that without acknowledging this crime, “no remedy can truly address the suffering.”
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