Asking displaced Kashmir Pandits (KPs) to pray for peace on Mahashivratri, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said the peace will remain elusive unless and until Pandits feel that they will be able to live in Kashmir Valley again.
"Even after we hold talks (with Pakistan), reopen roads between two sides, Kashmir will remain incomplete and peace in Kashmir is incomplete, unless and until Kashmiri Pandits feel that they are able to live in the valley again," Mehbooba said.
"That is the real test to us," the Chief Minister told KPs at Jagti camp.
"Please pray on holy night of Shivrati to God to create peace in Kashmir so that all migrants could return to their homes and hearths with respect and dignity," she said.
"It is a big need of the time that you return back to your roots with respect", Mehbooba said.
"Kashmir has lagged behind due to your migration from the Valley. You were our assets. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs — all are big treasure of brotherhood and composite culture," she said.
"People of different religions live here (in Jammu). People speaking Dogri, Kashmiri, Gojri, Punjabi and Ladakhi live here. But we lost this composite culture in Kashmir," he said.
"I know you have lot of problems. I would have come earlier, but situation worsened last year — four to five months passed off very badly," she said.
The Chief Minister said, "You may have many problems but there is huge mental stress among people in Kashmir. You may feel that the difficulty may be due to the barbed wire, but Kashmir is laid with such wires. It is we Kashmiris who are responsible for that. We are responsible for this."
"When we cross Jawahir tunnel towards Jammu, the mind opens and we become free. But in Kashmir, people are under huge stress. We have created the situation ourselves."
