New Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS): The Global Kashmiri Pandit Diaspora (GKPD) has expressed deep appreciation for the strong leadership provided to the country by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah, GKPD thanked the Home Minister for mentioning the plight of the Kashmiri Pandits and the lack of will on part of the previous governments and in particular the state governments to address the human rights of the community. "The tragedy having been made refugees in our country also found mention," the letter said.

GKPD said the fact however remains that 31 years later Kashmiri Pandits continue to remain in exile with little tangible efforts being made for their return and rehabilitation.

"Meanwhile, the last remnants of our culture, our temples and shrines continue to be desecrated, encroached upon and taken outright taken over under the watch of the previous and present government," GKPD said.

"Honourable Home Minister, we are not migrants but internally displaced who were forced out of our homes almost overnight because of the genocide committed against us by Pakistan sponsored terrorists with tactical local support," GKPD said.

With reference to the speech by Home Minister on Parliament on February 13, GKPD said some of the figures may be amended for official records.

"You mentioned a figure of 44,000 families that have been displaced. The Home Affairs Standing Committee Rajya Sabha Sabha 179th report in 2014 on the action taken by the government quotes an official figure of 59442 (at present the figure stands at 62,000 approximately). Our own numbers are much larger since many spread out in different parts of the country and many left the country," GKPD said.