The Plight of Kashmiri Pandits

Picture Courtesy: toyaps.com

In 1990s, Kashmiri Pandits- a small religious minority with a population of 0.7 million were uprooted from their homeland Kashmir because they spoke for India; they were strangulated, there houses were burnt and their temples destroyed, hundreds were killed and many more injured. Since then, Kashmiri pundits have not returned back to their homes. For them: home coming is a dream, for them Kashmir is a lost paradise.

In the winter of 1990, India faced one of the biggest tragedies; it witnessed forced migration of Kashmiri pundits from valley and was indeed a shameful event that still raises some serious questions. It questions legitimacy of Azad Kashmir movement, questions that time government when government failed to prevent the life and dignity of its citizen but above all it questions the commitment of Kashmiri society to the promises of multiculturalism and socialism.

In mid 1980s, Pakistan revised its policy on Kashmir, the attacking directly behavior was changed to cross-border terrorism and it sponsored civil wars in Kashmir. In 1989 when Afghan war was ended, Mujahideens of Afgan border were deployed to Kashmir border. With majority of Kashmiri Muslim for Pakistan, Kashmir was their natural path as per Jinna’s two nation theories. The minority of Kashmir, the Hindu pundits had pro Indian vision on Kashmir matter and advocated complete integration of Kashmir India. This position of Pundits became a hindrance for separatist. Kashmiri pundits were considered to be Indian agents, to make Kashmir a part of Pakistan it was necessary that Kashmiri pundits had to be eliminated as a result it became the first and obvious target of militancy in Kashmir.

On January 4, 1998, after an Urdu paper ‘Aftab’ published an article asking all Hindus to pack-up and leave, some other papers also repeated this expulsion order. In the following day there was near there was chaos in valley, with the CM Farooq Abdulla and his national conference government abdicated all the responsibilities of the state. There were blasts, firing, inciting speeches from Mosque, mujahedeen and Hindu Blood!! Within a month more than 300 Kashmiri pundits were been slaughtered, in September 1989, well known lawyer Pandit TikaLal Taploo was killed brutally and soon after the justice and N.K. Ganju of Srinagar High Court was shot, Pandit Sarvananda Prem, an 80 year old poet and his son was kidnapped, tortured, their eyes were pinched and hanged till death, Kashmiri Pundit nurses working at Kashmir Medical College, gang raped and then beaten to death or other women were kidnapped, raped and sliced in saw machine, many others were brutally injured their tongue was cut off, eyes pinched out and hands were chopped off and so on.

“Kashmir me agar rehna hai, to allah-o-akbar kehna hai,

Yahan kya chalega, Nijaam-e-mustafa”

This was the most horrifying slogans those days, situation became extremely fierce, and there was a na-pak collision between police, state officials and dominant majority community. State machinery failed to protect them and keep out the terrorists hunting for their lives. Kashmiri pundits had no other option but to leave, with this Kashmiri pundits were forced to become refugees in their own country. There are some serious questions on Social front as well. This incident can't be called only tragedy its national shame.

“When someone kicks you out from your mother land, when you are forced to leave the land which is your own, when you are forced to leave the culture attached with it, it can never be called the tragedy only”

We as a nation failed to prevent the right of our citizens, we all as a nation should have apology to Kashmiri Pundit, and we must respect Kashmiri pundits even after such a brutal killing they have bravely faced all worst situations, but still are excellent in field of education, culture and social sympathy. People like Anupam Kher, Suresh Raina and Kailash Kher have made a significant mark on the society in post migration era. Till the question of inhumanity gets an answer the Kashmiri Pandits will remain a lost paradise…

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