Srinagar: Police scuffled with hundreds of displaced Kashmiri Pandits to stop their march to the relief commissioner’s office in Jammu on Wednesday (May 6) against their inclusion in the National Food Security Act (NFSA) database.Several Kashmiri Pandit bodies had come together under the banner of ‘United Alliance of Displaced Kashmiri Pandits’ to march towards the commissioner’s office in protest against their inclusion in the NFSA database which was foiled by police.The protesters, who had assembled outside the office on Canal Road in Jammu, termed the administration’s decision as “black law” while alleging that the move was aimed to dilute their demand of return to Kashmir.Visuals from the scene of the demonstration showed dozens of protesters, some of them carrying placards, raising slogans against the government for including them in the NFSA database while police personnel are seen using their batons to prevent them from marching towards the office.“NFSA is for migrant labourers. We are an internally displaced community. This is a mutual conspiracy of the Union government and the J&K administration to dilute our status,” said Sunil Kumar, a displaced Kashmiri Pandit.Accusing the Union government of “dictatorship”, the protesters alleged that there was no consultations with the Kashmiri Pandit community before the NFSA process was rolled out.“Centre has taken Kashmiri Pandits for granted, as if our votes have been bought. We are not against NFSA. We are ready for it, but the government should take us back to Kashmir first and return our homes,” said Arvind Kaul, another displaced Kashmiri Pandit.Agnishekhar, founder of Panun Kashmir, a Hindu right-wing group which has been advocating the cause of displaced Kashmiri Pandits, said that the government should address the concerns of the protesters.“It is an anti-community decision and the government should roll it back,” he said.Condemning the administration for foiling their demonstration, the protesters demanded that the BJP-led Union government should fulfil its promise of return of Kashmiri Pandits to their homeland.“The government should provide us a home before doing this injustice. We are a people without an address. We have suffered enough harassment over the last four decades. Kashmiri Pandits are not going to tolerate this,” said a protester who could not be identified immediately.Reports said that the J&K administration started the process in early 2026 with more than 17,500 ration cards already integrated into the NFSA database.Per official data, there are 47,466 migrant families who live mostly in Jagti, Muthi, Nagrota and Purkhoo camps of Jammu. Some displaced Kashmiri Pandit families also live in Delhi and other parts of the country.Under the relief package for Pandit migrants which is funded by the Union government, each migrant Kashmiri Pandit is entitled to Rs 3,250 cash assistance along with nine kilograms rice and two kilograms of flour every month.The administration has asserted that the move would facilitate the enrolment of migrants in various social security schemes such as old age pension, widow pension, disability pension, marriage assistance, health insurance and others.A J&K government spokesperson said last month that around 450 families have benefited from various social welfare schemes following their integration into the NFSA database.A meeting chaired by principal secretary, Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction department, Chandrakar Bharti, on April 25 reviewed the implementation of the Special Relief Ration Scheme for migrants.“As per revised rules notified in 2024 and subsequent government orders in 2025, migrant ration cards have been formally integrated into the NFSA framework to enable beneficiaries to access various government schemes … (while) the existing ration entitlements will continue,” the spokesperson said.Under the new NFSA framework, the migrants were provided ration from April 18 with 32 designated ration depots identified in Jammu district. “Migrants have also been allowed to collect rations from the nearest depot for ease of access. Similar arrangements are being implemented across other districts of the Jammu division,” the spokesperson said.