Ensure sentiments are not hurt: Kashmiri Pandits to Chopra

A joint forum of Kashmiri Pandit organisations today asked director-producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra, who is making a film on their exodus from the Valley, to make sure that their sentiments are not hurt.

"Please do not play with the sentiments of the Kashmiri Pandit community who were forced out of Kashmir valley in wake of emergence of terrorism. Their wounds have not healed and due care should be taken," Vishwa Kashmiri Pandit Samaj (VKPS) convenor Kiran Watal told reporters here.

"We warned him not to portray unreal things which will hurt the sentiments of the community, we will not tolerate that. It is on him to balance the facts in the picture and see that the law and order situation does not occur due to it," he said.

Chopra is shooting his film on Kashmiri Pandits in different migrant camps in Jammu from March 27 to April 7.

Watal also criticised Chopra for paying poorly to Kashmiri Pandits on the set of his movie.

"But Chopra has facilitated an issuance of order by the J&K Government to have Kashmiri Pandits as labourers for his film at the rate of Rs 850 per day. This is shameful. If he needs people, artists, boarding and lodging facilities, we will provide him everything free, Watal said.

A joint action committee of entire leadership of Kashmiri Pandit community, including members from BJP, PDP, National Conference, besides social and religious organizations, was formed under Watal to carry forward the agenda of displaced community.

The committee includes former president of Kashmiri Pandits Sabha Prof A N Sadhu, Vice President of J&K NC Anil Dhar, former corporator and senior BJP leader Sheela Handoo and PDP minority cell leader Nana Ji Watal among others.