Kashmir Files Ridiculed By Tool Kit Gang-KPs Hurt

Er P L Khushu

Lapid, an Israeli who served as the chairperson of IFFI's international jury, termed The Kashmir Files" vulgar and propaganda" What a brute statement about a disastrous event and a tragic fact of this century The Kashmir Files director Vivek Agnihotri said he would quit filmmaking if intellectuals, including Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid, could prove that events depicted in his film are false Comments made by Lapid, viewed as an anti- establishment voice, came at the closing ceremony of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.

"Such things are often said by terrorist organisations, urban naxals and the 'tukde-tukde gang who want to divide the country. "What is surprising is how an event organised by the Government of India was used to support the narrative of terrorists who want Kashmir's separation from India and how many Indians living in India used it against the country?" asked Agnihotri The director, who won the National Film Award for best screenplay, and dialogues for 2019's The Tashkent Files, said 700 people were interviewed as part of the research for The Kashmir Files. The place that used to be a Hindu land (Hindu majority), no Hindus live there Yasin Malik, who confessed to his crimes, is rotting in jail today. Is this propaganda or a vulgar thing?"

Written and directed by Agnihotri and produced by Zee Studios, The Kashmir Files portrays the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from Kashmir following the killing of people from the community by Pakistan-backed terrorists. "This film got applause and encouragement for exposing both the nude and the silent killers of Kashmiri Pandits in the 1990s, along with their unfortunate exodus from Kashmir for no fault of theirs. It is unfortunate for all humans to note that such a creative platform was misused for a political agenda to preserve an old, false, jaded narrative about Kashmir.

'The Kashmir Files' movie gave an opportunity to scores of Indians to know about the truth and the harsh reality of the mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir in 1989-90, along with making the people of India know about the brutal genocide of Kashmiri Pandits had been converted up or denied for all these years. People are finding it hard to accept that the movie is based on true stories when the victims of the genocide were never heard. It has shaken the false beliefs of decades of whitewashing and denials about this genocide and atrocities on Kashmiri Pandits.

Professionals secretly use a toolkit, who spread hate and terror within society when such elements claim as human rights campaigners and activists claim to provide protest avenues, raise awareness and suggest strategies to mobilise protesters, ultimately destabilising the peace and tranquillity within the country. These people work under a well-laid conspiracy which is very much deep-rooted and mostly generated by disgruntled politicians and anti-social elements who are lost in the dins of democracy and overall prosperity of the well-meaning governing forces who have come through a big mandate of the people to rule and govern the nation. Such conspiracies do carry an international conspiracy tag also to defame India.

This is where the Tool Kit Gang, represented by Lapid, an Israeli who served as the chairperson of IFFI's international jury, termed The Kashmir Files "vulgar and propaganda" by using his malicious statements to denigrate the import and the sensitivity of this film, which is badly exposing the rulers and the politicians of power of that time including the Islamic fundamentalist elements of Kashmir backed by Pakistan, who are fundamentally responsible for the genocide and the mass exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits in 1989-1990.

This Tool Kit gang also includes the so- called intellectuals of this country, with the JNU base having recognition with the "Tukde- Tukde" Gang, who called it a film full of untruths and an exercise in futility. Some politicians who lost their grace and base after 2014, when Modi came into power, were equally reluctant to accept the film as a tale of genocide and atrocious configurations of Kashmiri Pandits. So is the case with the dynastic politicians of Kashmir, like Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, who declared this film a tale of false disclosures smelling their silent role as the abettors of this criminal genocide of Kashmiri Pandits is getting exposed and surfaced on the ground. This resulted in the rubbing of enough salt on the bleeding wounds of the Kashmiri Pandits, who are the victims of this genocide and atrocious acts by the Islamic Fundamentalists working in the valley with the hidden blessings of the main-line dynastic politicians. Another nail was driven in this coffin when Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal created a stir after he mocked the government for declaring the film-The Kashmir Files tax-free in several states.

Calling it propaganda by Lapid has hurt the sentiments of all the right-thinking Hindus, including the country's right-thinking people.

The film takes viewers back to 1989, when a huge conflict erupted in Kashmir due to rising Islamic Jihad, forcing the KPs to flee from the valley. According to estimates, roughly 4,00,000 of the Kashmiri Pandits migrated between February and March 1990. Much more of them fled in the years that followed until just hardly 100 families remained back in the valley.

Thus arrived the period of 1989-1990, when Kashmir, the paradise of the Kashmiri Pandits, became a death trap for the KPs due to the spurt of militancy backed by Islamic fundamentalism sponsored across the border, abetted by local political set-up. This ultimately resulted in the mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley of Kashmir. Their first prey in this regard were Kashmiri Pandits of immense repute, writers, community elders, legal luminaries, press and media personalities, and government officers/officials who were in prominent positions in the state administration or were known prominently.

More than about 2500 KPs were killed by terrorists when most of them were maimed and tortured in the most inhumane ways. The Jehadis gutted over 30,000 residential houses, business establishments, shops, and others in the valley. This is only a small summary of the whole story of the exodus. There are other horrifying tales too, which cannot be mentioned here because of the paucity of space.

Lapid was criticised harshly by Israel's ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, for labelling "The Kashmir Files" as "propaganda" and "vulgar" at the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI). Lapid was equally criticised by eminent journalists from Israel like Lev Aran and his other fellow citizens for his unceremonious and comments about Kashmir Files. Naor Gilon slammed Lapid for "abusing" his invitation to preside over the IFFI judging panel. Later, Gilon wrote an "open letter" on Twitter, apologising to "Indian brothers and sisters" for his fellow citizen's remark on Kashmir Files.

Days after calling the film 'The Kashmir Files' 'vulgar propaganda', Israel filmmaker Lapid has now reportedly apologised. He said he did not want to insult anyone, and his aim was never to insult people or their relatives who have suffered. The filmmaker went on to say that he deeply regrets how they interpreted his words.

It is said that this is not the first time filmmaker Lapid has said something controversial. Lapid has criticised Israel's treatment of Palestinians loudly, claiming "the collective soul of Israel is a diseased soul." He also signed an open letter, along with 250 other Israeli filmmakers, in opposition to the Shomron Film Fund, which subsidises Israeli residents who produce films in the West Bank and Jewish settlers who live there.

Rightly fingers are being raised about what has been done by the present government for Kashmiri Pandits' rehabilitation back in the valley so far when it has been in power for almost the last seven years. Probably making it tax-free for the viewers is no reply to heal the wounds of Kashmiri Pandits. The government of the day has to institute a commission of enquiry immediately, to be headed by a prominent legal luminary of the country, to locate the culprits in this regard and get them punished as per the law of the land, just in the same manner as was done in the case of the genocide of Sikhs in 1984.

Otherwise, it will rub further salt on the wounds of the Kashmiri Pandits by exposing their woeful tales without any logical remedy or relief. It may otherwise appear as a political ploy of the BJP to use the sad plight of Kashmiri Pandits as an election stunt for the national elections of 2024 again.

DISCLAIMER:

The views expressed in the Article above are Author’s personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing."

Courtesy:- Er. P.L. Khushu and December 2022, Koshur Samachar