Economic Deprivation of Kashmiri Pandits

Prof M K Bhat

(The Muslim rule in Kashmir started in 1339 with Shah Mir as the first Muslim ruler of Kashmir and continued for the next five centuries including the Mughal empire from 1586 until 1751 and Afghan Durrani empire from 1747 until 1819. During Muslim rule Kashmiri pandits were forced to leave Kashmir, killed for their religion, temples desecrated, taxed for their faith and had to face other atrocities except for the brief period from 1420 to 1470)

The economic conditions of Kashmiri Pandits have not changed much independence, any comparison of their economic conditions with the majority community points to a sordid state of affairs. They have remained confined mostly to government jobs and could not make much headway in business, agriculture. Tourism and other sectors. Certain pertinent questions like, why they remained confined mostly to white collar jobs? What restricted them from entering into other areas? Were they sidelined and compelled to pursue only a few areas? Were they themselves responsible for opting certain areas and leaving other areas for other communities? Did their merit carry any weight or not? Why they performed much better outside Kashmir than in Kashmir? Why they tried to adjust themselves outside Kashmir since independence leading to a continuous exodus till 1990? etc. arise in one's mind. In order to find a proper answer to all these questions it becomes necessary to understand the position of Kashmiri pandits in Kashmir with the advent of Muslim rule to India's independence in 1947 and post 1947 till date (Muslim rule has been taken as reference point because discrimination on religious bases did not exist in the earlier times, though they had other type of complexities.

It becomes imperative to briefly understand the socio-economic conditions of Kashmiri pandits during this period. The Muslim rule in since Kashmir started in 1339 with Shah Mir as the first Muslim ruler of Kashmir and continued for the next five centuries including the Mughal empire from 1586 until 1751 and Afghan Durrani empire from 1747 until 1819. During Muslim rule Kashmiri pandits were forced to leave Kashmir. killed for their religion, temples desecrated, taxed for their faith and had to face other atrocities, except for the brief period from 1420 to 1470 during the rule of King Zainul Abdin (popularly known as Bud Shah by Kashmiris). Kashmiri pandits tried to establish themselves in the latter's rule. Persian had turned into an official language, certain Kashmiri pandits learned this language quickly and got official status as government employees. They were named as Karkun and formed the majority of Kashmiri pandits. The demand for Bhasha Batta or commonly known as Gore declined due to Islamisation, so some of them also opted for government jobs. This sojourn was short lived because of the tyranny unleashed by Mughal/ Afghan rulers. In 1819 the Sikhs under Maharaja Ranjit.

Singh annexed Kashmir. During Sikh rule Kashmiri pandits within valley got respite from the tyranny of Muslim rule. Those with administrative capabilities rose to higher positions in the army of Raja Ranjit Singh Gulab Singh took over Kashmir under the treaty of Amritsar in 1846 and during Dogra rule Kashmiri pandits had normal living Certain people especially from city rose to good level because of their education and the majority got its living from agriculture The conditions more or less remained same as during Sikh rule.

As India got independence the misery of Kashmiri pandits continued. In Oct. 1947, 5000 Pakistani tribal Pashtun militia assisted by Pakistan army, crossed the border of the state and targeted Kashmiri Hindus/Sikhs. The Hindu houses were looted, people killed and raped, shops were looted. The mayhem continued in North Kashmir for many days Hindus from erstwhile dist. Baramulla left their homes behind to save themselves, some went to Srinagar and others to the different parts of the country. Kashmiri Pandits lost their confidence in the system and most of them sold their property at throw away prices to settle themselves at safe places. The feeling of insecurity had adverse impact on the thinking of Kashmiri pandits and it made them to find their job or settlement outside Kashmir. Those who got chance made their settlement outside and the slow exodus continued till 1990.

Their bruised psychology was further wounded by the land reforms carried in 1950. The gravest charge made by critics of land reforms at that time was that reforms were designed to pass the land of Hindus to landless Muslims. Sardar Patel opposed these reforms however Jawaher Lal Nehru and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad were in favour of these reforms Jammu and Kashmir was the only state in the independent India that refused compensation to land lords whose lands were expropriated by the state. The majority of these landlords were Hindus. It is being held by certain reports that 20% of Kashmiri pandits left valley as a consequence of 1950 land reforms and Pakistani invasion.

Another step in this direction was taken in 1976 by the formation of Jammu and Kashmir land reforms act 1976. Under this act land was transferred to the actual tillers. It may be worthwhile to mention here that 80% of the peasantry comprised of Muslims It was manipulated with convenience of local revenue officials in a clumsy way. (The author has been a victim of this obnoxious act) It may however be mentioned here that in 1976 the land transferred to tillers belonged to average families. The yield from agriculture was low so Kashmiri pandits supplemented their income by their services in govt. This was another nail in the economic coffin of Kashmiri pandits In this way Kashmiri pandits were cut to a lower size in agriculture business The community could not get much encouragement in trade except being small shopkeepers. Besides the manufacturing sector was not much developed in the valley those days.

The only choice left with them was government jobs, in villages generally they got the job of a clerk /teacher / policemen /forest guard and in city some could get good posts initially because of their education and illiteracy of the majority community Their merit for government jobs lost its sheen, as the majority got educated, especially after 1970. The Kashmiri pandit merit least mattered.

In 1990 they were made to leave their homes, they suffered a lot but there was a blessing in disguise, their education came to their rescue again via private sector. Initially they were discriminated and paid much less than the local candidates but by dint of their hard work in the private sector they got stability Their education changed as per market requirements and today many have their jobs in private sector with handsome salary A sizable portion among them got their adjustment in developed countries too and certain are still dependent on the meagre relief they get from the government.

It may be pointed out here that Kashmiri pandits in last ten centuries faced the vicious circle of settlement, loot, exodus, resettlement and then reloot, one followed the other. There are instances which make one to believe that much has not changed for them in Independent India. The exodus existed in both the periods, their education and value system came to their rescue not the governments of the time. They were taxed during Muslim rule while as their perennial sources of income was snatched from them in post-Independence era. During Muslim rule they got government jobs because of their understanding of Persian language. In the post- independence they got jobs initially because of the illiteracy of Muslims. The living pattern of this community has been decent not because of income but it has been mainly due to their education and high values/spending habits they carry with themselves. They were deprived of their dues by the successive governments both in independent and under foreign rule.

Professor (MAIT), Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University Delhi 

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Courtesy:- M K Bhat and 2023 June Koshur Samachar