It sent shock waves through the Pandit community. The Genocide of Kashmiri Hindus who are also called Kashmiri Pandits, was seventh ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits by radical Islamists in Kashmir Valley around 1990. In late 1989, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jia Lal Taploo and a retired judge, Neelkanth Ganjoo, were assassinated. An eye-witness report by two investigative journalists on the ground in Prato, Italy. (Or if they're ordered by the regime to create intentional tension/chaos. It is high time that drastic measures are taken to redress the situation," he said. Major media outlets have that the kidnapping was a fake one as the kidnapping took place just after 5 days Sayeed took the office. The Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) stepped up its activities, and the hanging of the militant leader Maqbool Bhat in 1984 added to the sense of foreboding. Southeast The debate surrounding the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits has been reignited following the release of a film on it -- 'The Kashmir Files'. In mosques and mass rallies, people shouted inflammatory and anti-Pandit slogans. The exodus took place at the same time that the BJP was upping the ante across northern India, and over the years, the plight of Kashmiri Pandits has become a potent Hindutva issue. According to a J&K government report, 219 members of the community had been killed in the region between 1989 and 2004 but none thereafter. There is little incentive for us to return to the Valley, says the Pandit teacher, drawing attention to the insecurity, lack of economic development and job prospects in Kashmir. In this exclusive interview, he recalls the events as they truly unfolded and not how they have been over dramatised and presented in the film The Kashmir Files which, he fears, aims Pandits have generally been in favor of Kashmirs closer integration with India. The government of India has identified three major schemes taken up by it for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits. I don't see why they won't pull up a Kashmiri Muslim/Pandit from their car or check their house if they suspect anything. WebBoth BJP and Congress enjoyed the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits because 1) they never cared about people 2) it was actually helping them to secure their vote bank. According to P.K.Verma, "Education was a common thread that bound together this pan Indian elite" and almost all the members of these communities could read and write English and were educated beyond school. It is an undeniable fact that the same sentiments that led to the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus are very much alive and thriving today. For impactful stories you just cant miss, By subscribing you agree to our Privacy Policy. (Or if they're ordered by the regime to create intentional tension/chaos. Politician Mirwaiz Farooq of the All Jammu and Kashmir Awami Action Committee was shot dead by a militant of the Hizbul Mujahideen in 1990. India is a peaceful country to the extent that its dear neighbor Pakistan works on the premise that whatever madness they do india will politely as The LG administration and the central government are primarily concerned with addressing security problems. Further, in the same year, the Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress government at the Centre unlocked the gates of the disputed Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi temple for Hindu worship. He was one of the first persons to help them after which Punjab also followed suit. News. Militancy was gathering momentum and anti-India sentiments were running strong. We are a group of patriots who love our motherland - Bharat Mata! An agreement, popularly known as the 1975 Indira-Sheikh Accord, was signed between Kashmiri politician Sheikh Abdullah and then Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi. Agnihotri's rendition of the exodus, which claims that it is "based on true stories," however, makes a few glaring deviations from the facts known about the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits. The 1989 capitulation to the JKLF in the kidnapping of Mufti Sayeeds daughter set the stage for the next decade. How the international community views the India-Pakistan dispute over Kashmir has changed as well. Black Day: January 19 is observed as the Holocaust day by the Kashmiri Pandit community. Congress was in opposition during Kashmir Pandit exodus: Madhya Pradesh ex-CM Digvijaya Singh Waiting for the triple product launch & spec reveal by OnePlus on 28th April? On January 21, the CRPF gunned down 160 Kashmiri Muslim protesters at the Gawkadal Bridge, which has come to be known as the worst massacre in the long history of the conflict in Kashmir. Sanjay Kumar, the father of three minor children who worked as a bank security guard, was shot dead in Achan With tensions peaking, hundreds of Pandit families began their journey out of the Valley. Life and property were not safe, agriculture declined, and there were periods when trade came to a standstill. By then, the Farooq Abdullah government had been dismissed and Governors Rule imposed. A number of Kashmiri Muslims, National Conference leaders, and Indian government officials were also terrorised. Journalist-lawyer Prem Nath Bhat was shot dead near his house in Anantnag shortly after. The fleeing Pandits did not think they would never return to the Valley. The communal violence of April 2022 was more the norm than the exception in the city of Khambhat. Happy Editing! In 1989, Neelkanth Ganjoo, the judge who had sentenced the JLKF's Maqbool Bhat to death, was killed in a market near the Srinagar High Court in broad daylight. On January 19, Kashmiri Pandits across the world observed Holocaust Day. It was on that day 30 years ago that the Pandit exodus from the Kashmir Valley began. WebThe Exodus It was 19 th of January, 1990 and days were cold and nights bitter, though there was no snow on the ground. Join us to create the encyclopedia of Indian history Copyright2021 All Rights Reserved by Historical India, Since late 1989, the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has been in the grip of a vicious movement of Islamist extremist terrorism. A second, larger wave left in March and April, after more Pandits were killed. Successive governments have promised that they will help this process, but the situation on the ground in Kashmir has meant this remains only an intention. Advertisement. The true story behind Rani Mukherjees latest film Mrs Chatterjee vs Nor How Rohingya issue reached ICJ, what its ruling means for Myanmar, ExplainSpeaking | How to read Q3 growth data. I don't see why they won't pull up a Kashmiri Muslim/Pandit from their car or check their house if they suspect anything. What was the UN event representatives of Kailasa attended? What happened in January 1990 is bitterly contested. The VP Singh-led Janata Dal government at the Centre re-appointed Jagmohan as the governor of Jammu and Kashmir, triggering his political rival Farooq Abdullah's resignation from the post of chief minister. The crimes committed against the Kashmiri Pandits are, by any yardstick, deserving of the strongest condemnation and there can be no gainsaying the acute The kidnappers demanded the release of five of their members in exchange for Rubaiya's release. Kashmiri Pandits observe Holocaust Day to mark 30 years of mass exodus from Valley. The government should set up self-contained townships exclusively for returning Pandits, Dhar says. Some built new homes and or moved into rented places. [15], A historically contested region, Northern India was subject to attack from Turkic and Arab regimes from the eighth century onwards, but they generally ignored the mountain-circled Kashmir Valley in favour of easier pickings elsewhere. The Kashmiri Muslims were instructed to identify Pandit homes so they could be systematically targeted for conversion or killing. Click here to subscribe for full access. Threats from Islamist militants in the Valley forced around 70,000 Pandit families comprising over 350,000 women, men, and children to flee their homes in the weeks and months that followed. Speaking at the programme 'Global Kashmiri Pandit Conclave: They have not done so because the situation in the Valley remains unstable and they fear a risk to their lives. Many Pandits, especially the youth, feel little emotional or cultural connect to their Kashmiri heritage and homeland. Many followers of the traditional religions who did not convert to Islam instead migrated to other parts of India. [34] Many of the refugee Kashmiri Pandits have been living in abject conditions in refugee camps of Jammu. [18], Zulju, who was probably a Mongol from Turkistan,[19] wreaked devastation in 1320, when he commanded a force that conquered many regions of the Kashmir Valley. In the lead-up to the events of 1990, Kashmir was in ferment. Another cause was communal hatred that was being fuelled by the authorities of Pakistan, hate speeches were being made to incite the people of Kashmir and to encourage them to More than 400,000 Kashmiri Pandits[ref], constituting 99% of the total population of Hindus living in Muslim majority area of the Kashmir Valley, were forcibly pushed out of the Valley by Muslim terrorists, trained in Pakistan, since the end of 1989 and forced to live the life of exiles in their own country, by unleashing a systematic campaign of terror, murder, loot and arson. But local politicians said the situation was far from normal, and Unfortunately, no such appeal came, only an announcement that to ensure the security of Pandits, refugee camps were being set up in every district of the Valley, and Pandits who felt threatened could move to these camps rather than leave the Valley. Because the truth is worth it.). He also demanded that a probe be conducted to ascertain on whose orders a total of 70 terrorists were released in Jammu and Kashmir in 1989. The security situation along the India-Pakistan border remains of great concern. Those who had means rebuilt their lives elsewhere in the country Delhi, Pune, Mumbai and Ahmedabad have Pandit populations, also Jaipur and Lucknow or went abroad. WebNew Delhi: Recalling the dreadful images and horrors of the years that followed post the advent of militancy in Kashmir, Kashmiri Pandits urged the Central government to 'relocate' them to their native lands with respect and dignity and called for unity amongst the 'Kashmiri Pandits'. [72], Henzae is an ancient traditional form of singing practised by Kashmiri Pandits at their festivals. The first day of the governor's rule, 19 January 1990, saw the darkest night in the history of the Kashmiri Pandit Exodus. However, Farooq Abdullah's first stint as chief minister was short-lived; he was deseated after an Indira Gandhi-led political coup in 1984. We will go back on our own terms," Kashmiri Samiti president Sunil Shakdher said in August 2002 in response to the then Farooq Abdullah regimes proposed rehabilitation agenda. Defense, China The KPSS has placed the number of Kashmiri Pandits killed by militants from 1990 to 2011 at 399, the majority during 1989-90. [53], Panun Kashmir has made demands for a separate homeland for the community in the southern part of Kashmir. In another incident of violence on 25 January, a week into the Janata Dal governor's rule, 4 Indian Air Force (IAF) officers were gunned down while 40 personnel were injured in a militant attack at a bus stop in Rawalpora. kashmiri pandit man Latest Breaking News, Pictures, Videos, and Special Reports from The Economic Times. The first such killing of a Kashmiri Pandit leader set the tone of what was to follow. What did the government of India do when Kashmiri Pundits were driven away from their homes in Kashmir? Why didt they prevent it? Because they did This is a difficult question. Its like asking if Tamilnadu belongs to Tamilians or India Lets in fact take the Case of Tamil Nadu Tamil nadu is a s Indeed, Kashmiri Muslims have borne the brunt of the violence unleashed by Pakistan-backed militants and Indian security forces. However, 30 years after they were forced to flee their homes, the safe and dignified return of Pandits to the Kashmir Valley remains a distant dream. But theres just as much, if not more, tracking in the virtual world.". At the minimum level, these terms would include security to life and property and, at a broader level, a consensual rehabilitation scheme.[ref]. Foreign affairs, defence and communications remained the preserve of the central government. Thirty years after they fled their homes in the Valley, an older generation of Kashmiri Pandits continue to yearn for the lives they led before the exodus. It was replaced by Urdu in 1889 during the Dogra rule. In a door-to-door mission, Hindu homes were attacked, families killed, and many women raped by militants. The Pandits insist that they will return to the Valley only when they are able to determine that the situation is conducive to their safety. The Kashmiri Pandit community decided to leave. Cries of hum wapas ayenge (we will return) rent the air and #HumWapasAayenge has been trending on social media in recent weeks. They belong to the Pancha Gauda Brahmin group[8] from the Kashmir Valley,[9][10] a mountainous region located within the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is against the Kashmiri ethos, a Pandit teacher based in Bengaluru said, stressing that exclusive townships and segregated communities would deepen the divide between Pandits and Muslims in the Valley. This list included the Kashmiri Pandits, the Nagar Brahmins from Gujarat; the South Indian Brahmins; the Punjabi Khatris, and Kayasthas from northern India; Chitpawans and CKPs (Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhus) from Maharashtra; the Probasi and the Bhadralok Bengalis; the Parsis and the upper crusts of Muslim and Christian communities. Singh to appoint Jagmohan as the governor of the state. One of the deadliest attacks on Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley took place in 2003, more than a decade after the peak of the exodus. Further, the film shows that Al-Safa carried a threat commanding Kashmiri Pandits to leave the Valley before the night of the exodus 'Al-Safa, Pandit dafa,' a child holding the newspaper recites in the movie. He respected the learning of these Pandits, to whom he gave land as well as encouraging those who had left to return. The efforts to resettle Pandits in the Valley in the last two decades have seen ghetto-like structures come up in various parts of Kashmir, ringed by concertina wire with heavy security, underlining that normal life is impossible. Today, Tickoo says there are fewer than 3,400 Pandits in Kashmir. The targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits have continued. At that time, Mr Chowdhury said, the then Congress president and Leader of Opposition Rajiv Gandhi had raised his voice against the exodus of people from Kashmir, and asked the then government to stop it "anyhow", warning that people of the country would not accept it. Habibullah denied this and told them that the Pandits could hardly be expected to stay when every mosque was blaring threats and members of their community had been murdered. [27][28], In the 1981 census, the Kashmir Division had 124,078 Hindus, the majority of whom were Pandits. [43][44], The exiled community had hoped to return after the situation improved. Hindu community native to the Kashmir Valley, Center for the Study of Developing Societies in India (CSDS), Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, Revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, List of Jammu and Kashmir related articles, "30 years on, return to homeland eludes Kashmiri Pandits", "Survival is now our Politics: Kashmiri Hindu community identity and the Politics of Homeland", "Kashmiri Pandits: Why we never fled Kashmir", Kashmiri Pandits offered three choices by Radical Islamists, "25 years after exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley, questions over return remain", "BBC World Service | World Agenda - Give me land", "23 years on, Kashmiri Pandits remain refugees in their own nation - Rediff.com India News", Senate Joint Resolution 23, 75th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY2009 Regular Session, "Front Page: "219 Kashmiri Pandits killed by militants since 1989", "Kashmiri Pandits: Why we never fled Kashmir Kashmir: The forgotten conflict", "399 Pandits killed since 1990 KPSS Lastupdate:- Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT", "The tragedy of Kashmiri Pandits (Part IV)", "Only 1 Pandit family returned to Valley in 25 years", "When will we finally return home, ask displaced Kashmiri Pandits", "Kashmiri pandit team to visit valley to negotiate for peace", "Forget Delimitation; Divide Kashmir; Grant Statehood to Jammu: IkkJutt Jammu", Census of India, 1941, Volume XXII, Parts I & II (1943), Census of India, 1941, Volume XXII, Part III (1943), "Cabinet approves the proposal to provide State Government jobs and transit accommodations in the Kashmir Valley for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants", "Gangbal yatra to commence after 100 yrs in Kashmir", "Kheer Bhawani Temple | District Ganderbal, Government of Jammu and Kashmir", "Valley divide impacts Kashmiri, pandit youth switch to devnagari", "Hindu Muslim unity depicted at Mata Khirbhawani temple in Kashmir", "Anupam Kher to work for Empowerment of Kashmiri Pandit Community", Panun Kashmir: A Homeland for Kashmiri Pandits, 'God of Small Things,' Travelogue in The Indian Express, 5 March 2006, by Arjun Razdan, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kashmiri_Pandits&oldid=1138786638, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, All Wikipedia articles written in Indian English, "Related ethnic groups" needing confirmation, Articles using infobox ethnic group with image parameters, Articles with empty sections from March 2020, Articles with failed verification from March 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 11 February 2023, at 16:26. Kashmiri Hindus find themselves reliving the fear of the early 1990s amid a wave of targeted killings, but the government is keen to prevent another exodus. [28], They began to leave in much greater numbers in the 1990s during the eruption of militancy, following persecution and threats by radical Islamists and militants. The flight continued until 2000. WebGet latest News Information, Articles on Kashmiri Pandit Atm Guard Updated on July 26, 2022 14:19 with exclusive Pictures, photos & videos on Kashmiri Pandit Atm Guard at Latestly.com - Page 2 [46] As of 2016, a total of 1,800 Kashmiri Pandit youths have returned to the valley since the announcing of Rs. [42] The local organisation of pandits in Kashmir, Kashmir Pandit Sangharsh Samiti after carrying out a survey in 2008 and 2009, said that 399 Kashmiri Pandits were killed by insurgents from 1990 to 2011 with 75% of them being killed during the first year of the Kashmiri insurgency. The outcome of this shift both in population and in religion was that the Kashmir Valley became a predominantly Muslim region. Please take some time to moderate it now! It appears to have archaic features that suggest it is the oldest form of Kashmiri folk singing. Antagonism over the Russia-Ukraine war has left G-20 host India in the unenviable position of trying to reconcile clearly irreconcilable differences. [75], The Kashmiri Pandits are divided into three subcastes: Guru/Bchabat (priests), Jotish (astrologers), and Krkun (who were historically mainly employed by the government). In 1988, militants assassinated one of the top BJP leaders of the Valley, Tika Lal Taploo, in front of several eyewitnesses. (Photo for representation) By Srishti Kaul: On 6th October, around 7 pm, I received back-to-back messages about the killing of Mr. Bindroo in Srinagar. The Pandits have rejected rehabilitation proposals to Valley several times, indicating that they were not willing to become cannon-fodder for politicians who cannot guarantee their security. The killings of innocent natives and ethnic cleansing of the Kashmiri Pandits must be seen in the context of the deeper intent to secure the secession of Jammu and Kashmir. A large number settled in the Jammu Division of the State and the National Capital Region of India. Enjoy an ad lite experience on TOI+. Kaw has speculated that this item of jewellery may not have existed at the time. WebThe Kashmiri Pandits are divided into three subcastes: Guru/Bchabat (priests), Jotish (astrologers), and Krkun (who were historically mainly employed by the government). He announced that if they chose to stay back, he would not be able to guarantee their safety. In Anantnag, the constituency of then Congress leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, there was a series of attacks on Hindu temples, and shops and properties of Kashmiri Pandits, blamed on separatist and secessionists. "These terrorists played a role in genocide.nation wants to know," he said. Speeches were made extolling Pakistan and the supremacy of Islam, and against Hinduism. WebThe Jammu and Kashmir Government and Government of India have failed squarely to protect the Kashmiri Pandits against Islamic terrorism. They dream of returning to their old wooden homes surrounded by chinar trees and ringed by snow-capped mountains. They couldnt. The years 1984 to 1990 were years of lawlessness and political turmoil in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the Kashmi They were assured that once the massacre in Kashmir was completed and the movement (for self-determination) curbed, they would be sent back to An estimated 100,000 Kashmiri Pandits have reportedly fled the Valley. Tens of thousands of Kashmiris and Indian security personnel have lost their lives in the violence that engulfed the region. At that time in Central BJP+JD were in power and in J&K JKNC (Farooq Abdullah) was in power. Although Farooq Abdullah was with full majority, he wa The two events the flight of the Pandits and the Gawkadal massacre took place within 48 hours, but for years, neither community could accept the pain of the other, and in some ways, still cannot, as each continues to talk past the other. Other commentary has pointed to how the government organised transport for fleeing Pandits so that they could get to Jammu. [36][37], Some Hindus across India tried to help the Pandits. Most Popular. The events of 19 January 1990 were particularly vicious. [33] The nature of the planned exodus has remain controversial, with the involvement of then Governor Jagmohan in organising a clandestine exodus been a subject of controversy. Just around 600 Pandit families stayed in the Valley. But as the situation in Kashmir spiralled into a full-blown militancy, return began to look remote if not impossible. Besides being the right thing to do, apologies bring diplomatic and political gains in a region haunted by colonial and imperial atrocities. Habibullah wrote he also appealed to Jagmohan that he telecast an appeal to Pandits that they stay in Kashmir, assuring their safety on the basis of the assurance of the Anantnag residents. Learn More. He asked Kashmiri Muslims to make Pandits feel more secure. WebThe Exodus of Kashmiri Hindus, or Pandits, is their early-1990 migration, or flight, from the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley in Indian-administered Kashmir following rising violence in an insurgency.Of a total Pandit population of 120,000140,000 some 90,000100,000 left the valley or felt compelled to leave, and about 30 were killed. Ripples of the move were seen in Kashmir as well. V. P. Singh appointed Jagmohan as Governor on 19 January 1990. The debate over the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits has been reignited after the release of 'Kashmir Files'. With hastily packed belongings and terror in their hearts, Kashmiri Pandits who survived the night fled the Valley on 20 January morning and the weeks that followed, becoming refugees in their homeland. In his address to celebrate the 104th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement, Yoon Suk-yeol said Japan has transformed into a partner sharing common values. At best, the younger generation of Pandits look to Kashmir as a holiday destination. Sun worship is believed to have been brought into Kashmir by Kushan kings from Iran. Sheikh Abdullah had died in 1982, and the leadership of the National Conference passed on to his son Farooq Abdullah, who won the 1983 election. Matters came to a head on the night of January 19, 1990. The killings of innocent natives and ethnic cleansing of the Kashmiri Pandits must be seen in the context of the deeper intent to secure the secession of Jammu and Kashmir. She writes on South Asian political and security issues. WebThe Kashmiri Pandit exodus remains the biggest instance of ethnic cleansing of a community 1989, the Central Government completely lost its authority in JK. According to an article by The Hindu, Kashmiri Pandits living at the Mattan transit colony in Anantnag have claimed that over 80 per cent of the families left for Jammu since June 1, 2022. Ministers have tweeted that it is based on true stories of Kashmiri Pandits. With the completion of fifth year of their forced exile, this peace loving, culturally rich community with a history of more than 5000 years, is fighting a grim battle to save itself from becoming extinct as a distinct race and culture. It was replaced by Urdu in 1889 during the Dogra rule. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Swamy's remarks come in the midst of a controversy over the movie 'The Kashmir A large number of Hindu houses were attacked, shops looted, and temples vandalised in Vanpoh, Anantnag, and Sopore, among others. In 1986, after the Rajiv Gandhi government opened the Babri Masjid locks to enable Hindus to offer prayers there, ripples were felt in Kashmir too. The LG administration and the central government are primarily concerned with addressing security problems. As many as 75,343 Kashmiri Pandits are estimated to have fled in January 1990, with about 70,000 more following till March, as per the Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti. Short answer: Because of carelessness, lack of courage/desire and vote-bank politics of State and Central government. Long Answer: To know the reas Muslims argue that by arranging for buses to transport Pandits out of the Valley, Jagmohan facilitated their flight, paving the way for the Indian security forces to launch an all-out military offensive against Muslims. It was not until the fourteenth century that Muslim rule was finally established in the Valley and when this happened it did not occur primarily as a consequence of invasion so much as because of internal problems resulting from the weak rule and corruption endemic in the Hindu Lohara dynasty. Twenty-four Hindus, including two children, were lined up outside their houses and shot dead by terrorists who belonged to the outfit, Lashkar-e-Taiba. On August 5, 2019, when the government did away with special status to J&K, among the loudest to cheer were Kashmiri Pandits, who saw it as a long pending revenge for what had happened to them three decades ago. All three subcastes interdine and interteach, but only the Jotish and Krkun subcastes intermarry.[22]. The Hindu caste system of the Kashmir region was influenced by the influx of Buddhism from the time of Asoka, around the third century BCE, and a consequence of this was that the traditional lines of varna were blurred, with the exception of that for the Brahmins. Without going into the complexities of power, politics, hatred, vendetta, agendas, and political priorities, I would like to opine that the governm Speaking at the programme 'Global Kashmiri Pandit Conclave: Congress' leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday sought to corner the ruling BJP over the exodus of minorities from Kashmir in 1990s, saying then Leader of Opposition Rajiv Gandhi had urged the then VP Singh government to intervene and stop the "atrocities" being committed on Kashmiri Pandits and Sikhs.