Srinagar: Asserting that the time has come for Kashmiri Pandits to reconnect with their roots and contribute to the future of a transformed Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday said the community’s journey from displacement to global success stands as a remarkable example of courage, resilience and determination.

Addressing the Global Kashmiri Pandit Conclave: From Exile to Excellence at SKICC here, LG Sinha, said the gathering marked a historic moment and reflected both the achievements of the Kashmiri Pandit community and its enduring bond with its homeland.

“I see before me the sons and daughters of this soil. We are witnessing a historic moment in Srinagar,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

He said Kashmir had witnessed the pain of the community’s displacement and was now witnessing its resurgence and renewed confidence.

Referring to the migration of Kashmiri Pandits in the 1990s, LG Sinha said the community endured immense suffering and was uprooted from its homeland overnight, but refused to allow adversity to define its future.

“The Kashmiri Pandit community suffered deeply during the 1990s. Families were displaced overnight, but despite the pain and uncertainty, they chose not to surrender to despair,” he said.

The LG said the community faced two choices after displacement with one of hopelessness and defeat and another of rebuilding and service to society.

“The easier path was despair, but you chose reconstruction, hard work and service. You transformed your struggle into strength and your pain into purpose,” he said.

Sinha said the real victory of the community lay in preserving its identity, culture and traditions despite decades of displacement.

“The true triumph is that you did not allow your villages, traditions and identity to fade away. Instead, you turned them into a source of strength and inspiration,” he........

© The Kashmir Monitor News