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T V Parasuram in Washington
US Congressman Frank Pallone has condemned the "ethnic cleansing" of Pandits in Jammu and Kashmir and urged Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to keep the community's concerns uppermost in his mind during his upcoming visit to the state.
"It is crucial that their [Kashmiri Pandits'] concerns be an important part of the prime minister's agenda during his visit to Kashmir next month," Pallone, also former co-chairman of the Congressional India Caucus, said in a statement on Tuesday.
In a related letter to the prime minister, Pallone said: "The Islamic militants (in Kashmir) are promoting an agenda of ethnic cleansing. Their goal is to eliminate non-Muslims from Kashmir. The constant fear of attacks by militants and the current living conditions [in refugee camps] have stripped the Pandits, a peace-loving people, of the most basic dignity that must be afforded to all human beings."
Over 3,50,000 Kashmiri Pandits have left the Valley since 1947, the Democratic Congressman said, adding that Pandits must have the opportunity to return to the Valley under conditions that guarantee their safety.
PTI
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