Kashmiri Pandits- Yet Another Test

Ashwani Chrungoo

Martand

The government of Jammu and Kashmir has come out with the announcement of a so-called plan to allure the Pandits to accept its proposal for return and rehabilitation of the community in Kashmir. A lot of displeasure and anguish has been expressed over the linkage of the unemployment issue with the issue of return to the valley. It is adding insult to the injury. Linking of the two issues amounts to trading in the miseries of the hapless Kashmiri Pandit (KP) refugees. It is an indisputable fact that a number of educated youth have turned overage, during this period of turn moil and displacement, because of the government's neglect and apathy, and deserve to be given due age relaxation in the recruitment process. In a situation in which the governments have kept silent on very vital issues of political concern on Kashmir, the position of Kashmir is unclear and ambiguous. Asking Kashmiri Pandits to return is not only immature but also impractical keeping in view the ground realities in Kashmir.

The Kashmiri Pandits, who are the indigenous people of Kashmir, have been the victims of Muslim majoritarianism, genocide and ethnic cleansing in Kashmir, resulting in their forced exodus. Instead of reversing the Muslim majoritarianism that become more powerful after the rise of Muslim fundamentalism and terrorism in the Valley and has been the cause of ruin of the Pandits, the J&K State Government is asking them to return on the basis of "plans' made by the former for their so called rehabilitation in the valley.

These plans do not recognize the genocide and ethnic cleansing as the cause of their ruin, but deal with the whole Pandit tragedy as if it has occurred as a consequence of a natural disaster caused by flood, famine, earthquake or fire, etc. In this context, it is worthwhile to mention that the governments at the Centre and in the State have conveniently ignored the finding of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) that reveal that acts akin to genocide were committed against the Pandit community and a genocide type design may exist against them in the minds and utterances of the terrorists and, the militants in the valley. The Government of India also tends to forget its own deposition before the international Council of Jurists that the ethnic cleansing of the Kashmiri Pandits had taken place in the Kashmir Valley.

There are a number of people who have made it known at this hour that they have "sympathies" with the government's so-called plan. They have also attempted to give a new colour to the issues under discussion. It has become a habit for some people to twist the facts of history, to suit their vested interests. Therefore, it would be worthwhile to put forth certain historical facts as they are. Historically speaking, the Kashmiri Pandits have a written history of livings in Kashmir for over five thousand years. Though they faced exodus several times in the past, yet they chose to live, ultimately, in Kashmir because they had/have consistent adherence to the land and tradition of Kashmir. For them, politics would always take a back seat in their life. Yet they were economically squeezed, politically marginalized and socially excluded in their own native land. To forces which made them to reach such a situation were none else then those, whom the community trusted, favoured and believed in 1947, when accession and transition of power took place. The community made a conscious effort to erase the past bad memories of persecution and relied more on the promises made to them in 1947. It needs to be emphasized here that in the changed scenario the Pandits wilfully ignored the fact of historical intent to ethnically cleanse the Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir.

They even side lined the fact that in 1947, they had faced the worst that could have happened to them. Scores of them were left homeless and thousands of them were forced to take recourse to exodus.

The Kashmiri Pandits looked to the future with hope. They were given to believe that the people's representatives would take care of the governance and the constitution would be the ultimate law and secularism and democracy would be the guiding principles, and that the minorities would be protected by the government's instrumentalities and The constitutional provisions. They  believed and reposed trust in the leaders like Sheikh Abdullah Pt. Nehru and the State Government supported by the Government of India and the overwhelming Muslim Majority community, which was believed to be behind the decision of the National Conference in 1947. What happened thereafter is history.

The Pandits faced apartheid at the hands of those who had promised them democracy and the rule of law, and to the shocking surprise of the community, the Muslim majority community, instead of providing them protection, made ever possible effort to drive them out of Kashmir when there was an upsurge against the Kashmiri Pandit community in 1989-90 even the governments failed in their constitutional duties to protect them. The Pandits had no choice to make because no organ of the society and the State had willingness and capacity to protect them in their land of origin.

The decision of exodus was thrust upon the Pandit community when the Pandits were told in clear terms that this was the only course they could take. This was, in a very subtle and organized manner, conveyed to the Pandits by their Muslim friends, neighbours, colleagues and comrades. The selective killings, coupled with attacks on the minority religious and cultural institutions and directives given from mosques and press media hastened the process. The road of exodus the Pandits took was shown to them by their fellow Muslim friends and neighbours.

"THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ALSO TENDS TO FORGET ITS OWN DEPOSITION BEFORE THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF JURISTS THAT THE ETHNIC CLEANSING OF THE KASHMIR PANDITS HAD TAKEN PLACE IN THE KASHMIR VALLEY",

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Courtesy: Ashwani Chrungoo and The Martand- The Official organ of All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference: 16th November, 2009