36 Years of Hindu Genocide in Kashmir An Unabated Tragedy Rekindled at Pahalgam

 

The genocide of Hindus in Kashmir has continued, unabated and largely unacknowledged, for the last 36 years. Its roots, however, stretch far deeper into history. Systematic deprivation began long ago-first through the erosion of land rights, then government jobs, then economic strangulation, and finally, the most brutal: the denial of the very right to exist in the land of their ancestors. This is the sacred land of Shiva and Shakti, of Rishi Kashyap, Neel Naga, and Ragya Bhagwati-a land that once flourished with art, literature, drama, philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, astrology, architecture, and craftsmanship so exquisite that even its ruins astound modern eyes. All of this was systematically demolished by the wrathful, inhuman zeal of Islamic invaders, who reduced the region's reality and identity to myths and imposed a false, alien Islamic character over the land by sheer brutal force. What was once a shining beacon of Sanatan culture was drowned in the bloodshed and oppression of centuries. The tragedy of Kashmir's Hindus is not merely a recent phenomenon-it began with the arrival of a radical religious doctrine fundamentally intolerant of anything beyond its own narrow worldview. Speaking this undeniable truth today is often branded as communalism, when, in fact, it is simply bearing witness to centuries of historical persecution. Since the advent of Islam in Kashmir, Hindus have endured relentless suffering and marginalization. The terror unleashed in 1990, backed by Pakistan and facilitated by local Islamist sympathizers, was not an abrupt uprising but the culmination of decades of careful planning and systemic marginalization after Maharaja Hari Singh's accession to India. Only during the Sikh and Dogra rule was there a brief reprieve, a semblance of communal balance in Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh. After 1947, under the so-called secular democracy, power remained concentrated in the hands of Muslim political dynasties-Sheikh Abdullah, Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad, G. M. Sadiq, Mir Qasim, and again Sheikh Abdullah-who prioritized Islamic identity over pluralism and systematically alienated the minority Hindus. This deliberate erosion culminated in the mass exodus of 1990, rendering Kashmiri Hindus refugees in their own country. Their homes were looted, properties usurped, temples desecratedall with the tacit or open support of the local populace. Terrorism became an industry, enriching a few and providing a grotesque incentive to perpetuate the violence. Today, as we mourn the innocent victims of the Pahalgam massacre, it is crucial to recognize that this was not an isolated act of terror, but a continuing chapter of the same jihadist war against Kashmir's indigenous Hindus. To be lulled into complacency by choreographed "successes" in tourism and yatras is dangerously naive. The Islamic doctrine fuelling terrorism remains alive and thriving; without a fundamental change in the jihadi mindset, such carnages will inevitably continue. The time has come to call this genocide by its true name, to reject delusions of normalcy, and to demand justice fora people who have suffered centuries of betrayal and bloodshed on their own soil.

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Courtesy:  Maharaj Shah and Koshur Samachar-2025, May