"THE return of Kashmiri Pandits to the land of their ancestors with full dignity, security and assured livelihood will figure high on the BJP's agenda." This is what BJP wrote in its 2014 Lok Sabha election manifesto. This was what the Kashmiri Pandits, who were forced to flee from the Valley, and their growing families were looking for. They overwhelmingly supported the party. Now when the BJP government at the Centre is close to completing its term, the promise is far from being kept. So much so that Kashmiri Pandits continue to languish in inhuman conditions in refugee camps in Jammu. At Jagti camp, there was anger.

"PM Modi has failed. We had high hopes in him. We had thought he would punish our killers. But forget giving justice to us, he couldn't even improve our living conditions in the camps", said Veer Ji Sumbly. Kashmiri Pandits had to flee the Valley in the wake of the outbreak of terrorism in 1989-90. The displaced have completed 30 years in exile. They observe January 19 as their own 'Holocaust Day'. About 4,000 refugees live in Jammu's Jagti camp alone. Veer Ji Sumbly's wife, Usha Sumbly, recounted the horror.

"Threats were issued to us from the mosques. The loudspeakers used to blare with anti-Hindu and anti-India slogans which created fear among us. Processions were taken out by radical Islamists and our houses were stoned. My uncle was shot dead by terrorists in Srinagar. We had no option, but to leave the Valley", she said.

Jagti is the biggest refugee camp in Jammu. Residents had to live in tents in the early 1990s. Then they were given one-room tenements which had no kitchens and attached toilets.

Another Jammu refugee, Jyoti, said, "We were very happy when Narendra Modi became PM. We had high hopes. Now, we only see him on TV. He has failed. We lost everything in the Valley. We had to run away to save our lives. We are facing a lot of difficulties in these camps."

Their hopes for a return to Kashmir were rekindled after the formation of the PDP-BJP government in March 2015, but nothing much has happened since then.

PLIGHT NOTICED

The plight of Kashmiri Pandits was noticed when President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam visited one of the camps. He was so moved to see their condition that he promised to take up their problems with then PM Dr. Manmohan Singh. Singh later visited a camp and announced construction of special flats for the displaced community in Jammu till their return to the Valley.

In 2011, Jagti Township was inaugurated by Singh and one-bedroom flats were allotted to the Pandits. The colony was showcased as a satellite township where all modern facilities would be made available to the displaced Hindus.

HELLISH CONDITIONS

But about eight years later, India Today TV found a different reality. Forget a satellite township, the flats are collapsing. Sewage pipes leak and walls have big cracks.

"We have been knocking the doors of the authorities for the last eight years. This shouldn't be called a township," said another refugee.

J&K government officials admitted that there had been delays in carrying out repair works in the camps.

"Yes, there has been some delay. There were some legal hassles. But after I took over, I immediately ordered the repair of the flats. Work will finish it by the end of March", said Manohar Lal Raina, Relief Commissioner, J&K government.

CENTRE HAS NO DATA

India Today TV filed two RTI applications with the Department of Jammu & Kashmir Affairs under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. In the first RTI, we asked about the number of Kashmiri Pandits killed, cases lodged and their progress. The response was: "The information is not available with the undersigned CPIO and might be available with the State Government of J&K." The Second RTI application asked about the number of Kashmiri Pandits who are left in the Valley and the number of those rehabilitated.

The reply was the same. We also asked about the steps taken by the Central government in the last 10 years to rehabilitate Kashmiri Pandits. The Centre has identified three major schemes for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits. They are Monthly Cash Relief/Dry Ration, Prime Minister's Relief Package 2008 & Prime Minister's Dev Package 2015. Two date back to times before Narendra Modi came to power.

When we asked about the money spent by the Centre on the transit accommodation of Kashmiri Pundits in the last 10 years, the reply stated that, "The Government of India has issued sanction to the Govt of J&K for construction of 6000 Transit Accommodations in the Kashmir Valley under the PMDP, 2015. And advance amount of Rs 115 crore was released to the Govt. of J&K in September 2016."

CONGRESS ATTACKS

J&K Congress chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said, "This exposes the BJP government. They don't even maintain data. They have no information about killing of Kashmiri Pandits and the cases registered against the terrorists".

BJP DEFENDS

J&K BJP chief Ravinder Raina tried to defend the Modi government and passed the buck on to Home Ministry officials.

He said, "It shows non-seriousness of some officers at MHA. Hundreds of Pandits were killed. An inquiry commission should be set up so that cases of killings of Pandits can be probed. Congress has no right to speak on Pandits. Congress was a mute spectator when Pandits were driven out."