“What about Kashmiri Pandits”
“Why and how did Kashmiri Pandits leave Kashmir”
In early January 1990, most kashmiri pandits, a minority in largely muslim state of Kashmir left the valley overnight.
According to official numbers “Jammu & Kashmir”, roughly 160,000 pandits left the valley between Jan 1990 and 2000.
While majority of Kashmiri muslims and pandits blame the then governor of the state Jagmohan for the exodus, another narrative propagated is that they were driven out by militants sponsored by Pakistan.
Now let us look at some of the events that led to their departure.
Armed militancy against Indian rule had started in a year earlier in 1989 after a heavily rigged election discredited local politicians and alienated youth who were looking for a democratic solution to decades old conflict.
Militants were targeting and killing politically affliated personalities, judges and policemen and whoever they saw as a collaborator with the Indian state, and it included both muslims and kashmiri pandits. Some notable people killed were Tika Lal Taploo, President of the Kashmir Bharatiya Jamata Party, on 14 September 1989, on 4 November 1989 of Nil Kanth Ganjoo, a former high court judge (who sentenced Maqbool Butt). During same period a number of muslim personalities were killed as well, notably ” flan and flan on these dates”. Approximately 1500 muslims were killed during the same period.
According to official numbers (Reference: RTI report May 2013: 13030/2/2012) a total of 219 Kashmiri Pandits were killed during 1989 and 2013. While number of muslims killed is around 40,000, unofficial this number is around 80,000.
What was the situation like in 1990:
By early 1990s hundreds of local muslim youth had joined militancy and there was a huge spike in violence and protests against Indian state.
Many families (including pandits and muslims) started leaving Kashmir to escape the violence.
A crucial factor at the time was appointment of Jagmohan as the governor of the state who vowed to deal against militancy with iron first. There is documentary evidence to prove that he encouraged Kashmiri Pandits to leave the valley while he would deal with the militancy.
He facilitated their exit and announced establishment of 3 migrant camps at Jammu, after that pandits started migrating en-masse. His announcement that Pandit employees will be paid salary in absentia encouraged their movement.
There is hardly any evidence that KPs were targeted under a plan and strategy by the militants which forced their migration. A research study conducted by postgraduate politics students at the University of Jammu in 2001 found that 2% of KPs surveyed had received threatening letters; however, over 80% had not received any form of direct threat.
• M.K. Teng and C.L. Gadoo, in White Paper on Kashmir (New Delhi: Joint Human Rights Committee, Geoffrey Bell and Publishers, 1991), quote two Srinagar-based newspapers Alsafa and Srinagar Times carrying threats against the Pandits on 16th April 1990. No other evidence has ever been heard off or cited by Pandits establishing that there was widespread threat and intimidation against them by militants. However, it is to be noted that the migration started on 19th January 1990 and by April majority of KPs had migrated.
In September 1990, several prominent Kashmiri Pandits who had migrated to Jammu wrote an open letter to Alsafa and other newspapers admitting that they were deceived by Jagmohan
Attacks between 1988 and 1990 induced panic in the Kashmiri society and there was widespread fear and sense of impending trouble. All this was fuelled by extremist propaganda on both sides (India and Pakistan).
The false narrative which is being propagated by some that the Muslim community did not do enough to stop their migration carries no truth in it. Wajahat Habibulah, the then Deputy Commissioner Anantnag, in an interview with renowned political scientist, Alexander Evan, says in March 1990 a group of 300 people led by a local MLA requested him to stop Pandit migration. Habibullah says, he suggested Governor to make a television broadcast asking Pandits to stop, but later chose instead, however, to announce establishment of 3 migrants camps in Jammu.
Other notable point is that there are roughly 0.8% sikhs living in the valley and are a smaller minority even than the pandits but didn’t feel threatened or were forced to leave. They have been living peacefully and are part of the society. (even after a false flag operation in Chattisingpora in which 35 sikhs were killed)
Pandits leaving Kashmir was a tragedy scripted by Jagmohan and carried out by state administration. It was not a genocide, a massacre or a holocaust, rather a cunning plan to communalise a genuine political struggle and oppress the people and deny them even basic human rights.
Since 1990 , hundred and thousands of tourists ( Indian Hindus) have been visiting Kashmir even during the turmoil. These visitors have enjoyed hospitality and love from common Kashmiris and gone back with fond memories and only wishing to come back.
Kashmiri Pandits visiting back their ancestral homes have always been welcome back by their neighbours and given a warm welcome and have been praying for their permanent return.
We end this section with a few questions.
Why in last 30 years not a single enquiry commission has been setup to find out the truth about the events that led to Pandit departure from valley?
Why hasn’t been there single arrest or charge sheet against anyone yet?
Why have successive governments (congress and BJP) in New Delhi failed to rehabilitate Pandits even after 30 years.
Is it all to keep the slogan “What about Kashmiri Pandits” alive and make them political fodder?