Thursday, July 21 2005 19:17 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Bowing to a long-time demand of Kashmiri Pandits, the Centre today (July 21, 2005) said minority communities of Jammu and Kashmir will be taken into confidence in all future consultations about the State, even as it asked the displaced people to start returning to the valley.

"There will be no secret parleys. Whatever talks will be held (on J and K), minorities will be taken into confidence," Minister of State for Home Affairs Sri Prakash Jaiswal said at a meeting of Kashmir Pandits and Sikhs from the state convened here by the National Commission for Minorities (NCM).

Kashmiri Pandits, most of whom are living in exile after being expelled from the Kashmir Valley, often complained that they were being left out of the process when Government discussed about Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan and other groups.

Assuring that the Centre would hold quarterly meetings with representatives of Kashmiri Pandits, the Minister asked them to start returning to the valley as, "It is important to make a start."

He said a number of houses had already been constructed so that Pandits, who had lived in exile for close to two decades, could return.

However, representatives of Pandits present at the meeting said the situation at the "ground level" was not conducive to their return to the valley "honourably and safely."

"They told the Government that the local atmosphere has to be improved so that people want their neighbours back," NCM Chairman Tarlochan Singh told reporters later.