New Delhi [India] August 6 : In a landmark Town Hall convened by the Global Kashmiri Pandit Diaspora (GKPD) along with leaders of major Kashmiri Pandit organizations across India and abroad came together to applaud Member of Parliament and Senior Advocate Vivek Tankha for his historic role in authoring and introducing the Kashmiri Pandits (Recourse, Restitution, Rehabilitation and Resettlement) Bill in the Rajya Sabha.
According to a press release from the GKPD, this Private Member's Bill, first introduced in March 2022 and then placed again in July 2025, is the first legislative effort in Indian history to present a comprehensive, constitutional, and rehabilitation justice framework for the Kashmiri Pandit community--recognizing their genocide, affirming their rights, and laying the legal foundation for a dignified return.
Surinder Kaul, Co-Founder, GKPD USA, stated, "For the first time, a Bill looks directly into the eyes of survivors and says--You are seen. You are heard. You are owed."
The event acknowledged that the Tankha Bill represents the culmination of a 35-year struggle, carried through the 1991 Panun Kashmir Margdarshan Resolution, the 2018 GKPD Unified Declaration, and the 2023 Vision on Return: Administrative Council.
"This Bill is a bill of firsts--and of the forgotten," said Rakesh Kaul, Co-Founder, GKPD USA.
"It includes India's first legal recognition of genocide, A Judicial Tribunal with prosecutorial powers, Mandatory restoration of desecrated temples and shrines, Restitution of seized homes and lands, Domicile and employment restoration, Guaranteed representation in legislative bodies and public institutions. This is not symbolic. It is structural justice."
"It is the beginning of India's constitutional awakening to the long-denied genocide of the Kashmiri Pandits," declared Utpal Kaul, International Coordinator, GKPD.
The Town Hall passed a unanimous resolution committing to a global mass movement that will call on India's Parliament to debate, adopt, and enact the Tankha Bill into law.
GKPD and supporting organizations praised the vision and commitment of MP Vivek Tankha, who commands bipartisan respect and brings unparalleled legal and moral authority to this cause. As a Senior Advocate in the Supreme Court of India, and a worthy descendant of the noble Tankha lineage of Kashmir, his leadership has elevated the Kashmiri Pandit demand from the margins to the halls of Parliament.
The Town Hall ended with one resounding message: "Let Parliament not delay justice. Let it deliver it."