Conditions of Migrant camps for Kashmiri Pandits reviewed

The Chairperson of the Commission, Dr. Justice A.S. Anand reviewed the relief and assistance provided to Kashmiri Pandits with senior officials of the Jammu and Kashmir Government in Jammu on 17 May 2003. Prior to that, he had directed the Commission’s Special Rapporteur, Shri Chaman Lal, to visit the camps on 16 May 2003 to make an on-the-spot assessment of the living conditions of the residents. Accordingly, Shri Chaman Lal visited nine of the eleven camps; inspected the camp infrastructure and interacted with the residents. His findings were later taken up by the Chairperson with senior officials of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Chairperson explained the obligation of the State Government to provide living conditions of good and reasonable quality to the migrant families in the context of their fundamental right to a life with dignity. The fact that these families were forced to leave their homes in the Kashmir Valley under unfortunate circumstances, causing them enormous pain, cast a special duty on the State administration not only to meet their basic physical needs but also to ensure that their self-respect and self-confidence are restored and their sense of belonging is revived.
The Special Rapporteur noted a marked improvement in the infrastructure such as the approach roads, internal lanes, drains, water supply and sanitation since his last visit in February 2000. However, he pointed out a number of problem areas, based on his observations during his recent visit. After a detailed discussion, the action points were identified for improving the living conditions in the camps. These included

· Improving the water supply systems at Nagrota, Muthi-II and Purkhoo-I camps
· Improvement in sanitation
· The medical facilities provided at the camps will be improved by raising their status to primary health centers, at least at Nagrota-I, Purkhoo-I, Muthi I & II and Mishriwala camps.
· Patients requiring specialist treatment for diseases like diabetes, heart-ailments, chronic-asthma, psychiatric disorders should be identified and proper arrangements made for their health care.
· Improvement in the camp schools.
· Periodical visits by senior officers of the State Government to the camps.
· Widening the coverage of Anganwadi centers at Nagrota-I and Purkhoo-III. The centers already sanctioned at Muthi-I and Muthi-II to be made operational.

In his concluding remarks, the Chairperson reminded the senior officers that it was not merely to ensure the efficient running of the relief camps but to make the migrants feel that their human dignity is respected. He suggested that the Administration should try to arrange at least a weekly visit of a psychiatrist for the counseling of the inmates reported to be suffering from mental depression and other psychiatric disorders. He emphasized the need for greater involvement of the NGO sector and civil society in this endeavour of restoring the lost sense of belonging to the migrants. The Administration has to make an effort to counter the feeling of the migrants that they are abandoned and convince them by its performance and conduct that it cares for them.
The Chairperson later met delegates of (i) Jammu & Kashmir Sharnarthi Action Committee, Jammu (ii) Nadimarg Massacre Morcha and (iii) the State Kashmiri Pandits Conference and heard their grievances.