Panun Kashmir submitted a memorandum to the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India on Thursday, demanding that displaced Kashmiri Pandits be separately counted as “internally displaced genocide victims and survivors” in Census 2027.
According to a spokesperson of the organisation, a delegation of Panun Kashmir submitted the memorandum through Amit Sharma, Director, Census Operations and Citizen Registration for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. It was led by Dr Agnishekhar and included senior members Sanjay Raina, M K Dhar, Bhushan Lal Bhat, Bitooji Bhat, Bebooji Zutshi and Hari Krishen Kaul.
In the memorandum, the organisation said Census 2027 should not be treated as a routine statistical exercise for the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community. It said the way the community is classified will impact future recognition, rehabilitation, and policy decisions.
Panun Kashmir objected to classifying displaced Kashmiri Pandits only as “migrants”. It said migration implies voluntary movement, while their displacement was due to targeted violence, killings, fear, and failure of the State to protect them.
The organisation demanded that displaced Kashmiri Pandits be clearly identified as “internally displaced genocide victims and survivors” instead of being placed under general migration categories.
It also demanded that the original residence of each displaced family in the Kashmir Valley be recorded. It called for maintaining a clear link with their homeland and for separate enumeration of the displaced population.
The memorandum further asked that Census records include the duration and continuing nature of displacement. It said the data should reflect the long-term impact of what it called genocide conditions and State failure.
Panun Kashmir said census data should support future constitutional, rehabilitative, and restorative measures for displaced Kashmiri Pandits. It also referred to India being a signatory to the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention. It said Article 5 of the convention requires states to create legal and institutional mechanisms for genocide-affected and displaced communities.
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