Overview
- Kashmiri Pandit groups held protests as they marked the 36th anniversary of the 1990 exodus from the Valley.
- Farooq Abdullah asserted that return is unobstructed and noted that many Pandit families never left and continue to live peacefully in Kashmir.
- He recalled promising housing for returnees when in power, saying the plan stalled after his party lost office and urging Delhi to act on rehabilitation.
- He expressed doubt that large numbers would move back permanently, citing families’ jobs, education, and medical needs outside the Valley.
- Context from recent reports cites an estimated pre-1990 population of about 1.4 lakh, displacement exceeding 2.5 lakh, roughly 800 families still in the Valley, and nearly 62,000 families registered as migrants.