Kashmiri Pandits recount horrors of 19 January, 1990 night Reiterate demand for separate homeland

 

Kashmiri Pandits living in the national capital and areas gathered at Jantar Mantar grounds on 20 January to observe 26" Holocaust Day and protested against the injustices meted out to them. It was on the night of 19-20 January 1990 that their tragic mass exodus from Kashmir valley, their ancient homeland scattered them as refugees to different places in the country and also across the seas. Since then they have been observing the Day as the Seas, the darkest event in their history. What was different this year, however, was that different KP organisations and groups came together to express their pain and anger on one platform following the call given by Kashmini Samiti Delhi. It was heartening to see leaders of KSD, Panun Kashmir, Roots in Kashmir, APMCC, AIKS, Jammu Kashmir Vichar Manch and others taking a break from the past and uniting to demand justice for their dispossessed and distressed community Speaker after speaker rose to recall the horrors that the Kashmiri Hindus have gone through and pledging to continue their struggle for a separate homeland Joining them in this hour of remembrance were several sympathetic and nationalistic voices fully supporting their cause.

Underlining the new spirit, Dr Aiay Chrungoo, Chairman Panun Kashmir, said in his forceful and stirring speech that Kashmiri Hindus may be having many organisations but their objective is the same whether it be Panun Kashmir or Kashmiri Samiti Delhi or any other party or group. They want Kashmiri Hindus to have a separate homeland where the writ of the Indian Constitution runs fully in both letter and spirit. What the Government on the other hand wants is that they should get absorbed into the Kashmin Muslim milieu and thus lose their identity Kashmiri separatists have said repeatedly and in clear terms that they did not want secularism, or co-existence, he pointed out, and warned that what is happening in Kashmir today is going to happen soon in the rest of the country with Islamic fundamentalism spreading its tentacles fast. States like West Bengal, Kerala and Assam are already examples of this. In fact the whole world today is threatened by it.

What the Kashmiri Hindus want, Dr. Chrungoo told the audience, is not something too big to attain Vamana avatara, wanted just one step. We too seek abrogation of Article 370. Call it homeland or by any other name, we want a region where we can enjoy our human rights without any hindrance, Dr. Chrungoo said. He accused the government of being apathetic towards the plight of KPS. When atrocities were being perpetrated on the Pandits, the government adopted the attitude of a silent spectator, it remained a silent spectator again last year when Hindus were being attacked in Kishtwar. The Police, Army, or CRPF did not take action to protect them even though the police station was not far off from the scene of their torture Such an attitude of apathy in governance is dangerous, it is criminal, he pointed out. Dr. Chrungoo however hoped that Kashmiri Pandits will eventually succeed in their struggle. He praised Kashmiri Samiti Delhi for remaining in the vanguard of the struggle.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. LN. Dhar, a former President of KSD said since 1990 the Samiti has adopted "Save Kashmir Save India" as its slogan. How the Government can ask the KPs to go back to Kashmir when it is not sure that it can provide security of life to them, he asked. It has been KSD's consistent stand, he said, that they will return only if they have the assurance that their honour and life will be safe there. If they go, a similar situation could arise again courtesy the very killers who had triggered their exodus earlier and they could be butchered en masse.

Former KSD President Sunil Shakdher pointed out that the Samiti has been trying to help solve KP problems since 1990, when its movement began under the leadership of CL Gadoo. The Samiti, he said, should command a similar respect as accorded to the Parliament.

Speaking on the occasion, CL. Gadoo, who was the KSD President when KPs were forced to flee in 1990, put the KP struggle in a historical perspective. The Samiti, he said, has pledged to carry on this struggle until the community achieves its objective. According to him, the eminent journalist, late Gigi Lal Jain had rightly predicted that fundamentalism would spread throughout the country if Kashmin Pandits' problems were not resolved.

R.C. Bhat, former President, Koshur Samaj, Vasundhara, Ghaziabad, said that Mahatma Gandhi had seen a ray of light in Kashmir, but that ray did not last for long. He wanted the young generation of KPS to be made aware of the actual happenings in Kashmir since 1947. Turning poetic, he recited a Hindi poem he had composed for the occasion

ऐ भारत वर्ष के लोगो

ऐ भारत वर्ष के लोगो, जरा आख में भर लो पानी, 

जिन्हें घर से किया है बेघर जरा सुन लो उनकी कहानी।

वर्ष 1990 ईसवी था आतंक की आग जब फूट गई. 

उन्माद जेहाद का जब फैला दीवारे अमन की टूट गई। 

मीनारों से बरपा हुआ तूफान हर मस्जिद से ललकार उठी, 

रहना है तो शरया कबूल करो, वरना छूटेगी जिंदगानी 

इतिहास हजारों वर्षों का जब पलटो तो तुम जानोगे, 

थे मूल निवासी कौन वहा बेदर्दी से जिनका अत हुआ। 

मुट्ठी भर लोग बचे पीछे कहलाते थे हिंदुस्तानी, 

जिन्हें घर से किया बेघर जरा सुन लो उनकी कहानी। 

सीने पर गोली भी खाई मा बहनों की गाली भी झेली, 

निर्दोषों को कटते भी देखा आरों पर चिरत भी देखा। 

लुटते घर अपने भी देखे जलते हुए मंदिरों को देखा। 

जब सिर से पानी गया ऊपर चले छोड़ के मिट्टी पुरानी। 

जिन्हें घर से किया बेघर, जरा सुन लो उनकी कहानी। 

निर्वासन के 26 साल हुए वे कहते हैं मालामाल हुए। 

हो जाएगी तब तक देर बहुत जब भारत देश यह समझेगा। 

मिट गई आखिर कश्मीर प्रात से इक सभ्यता बहुत पुरानी। 

जिन्हें घर से किया बेघर जरा सुन लो उनकी कहानी।।

In his speech, senior advocate, Supreme Court of India and Congress leader Ashok Bhan said that ever since 1990, Pakistan had been trying to liquidate the Hindu minority in Kashmir by sponsoring terrorism. Targeting the KPS, it adopted the policy of killing one and scaring a thousand This created an atmosphere. of terror and the law-abiding community of KPS was forced to flee, leaving their homes and hearths. The National Human Rights Commission described the ethnic cleansing of KPs as genocide. 

Now that the Modi Government has a majority in Parliament, KP representatives should put pressure on it to take appropriate action to ameliorate their lot and resolve their problems  Till KPs are not settled in the Valley in an atmosphere of security there can be neither peace, nor development in the region, he said. 

Leader of the OROP movement, Major-General Sukhbir Singh, who joined the protesting Pandits expressed his full sympathy with them and said that he was pained to see that the original residents of Kashmir had been driven out. Revealing that he had spent eight years of his Army career in Kashmir, Major General Singh said the fundamental rights of the poor Pandits had been illegally and shockingly violated When the history of modern India is written, Gen. Sukhbir Singh said, the Holocaust Day, that KSD is observing, will be described as a day of disaster.

Jawans of the Indian Army have always been ready to give their life for the security of the country and will continue to do so. They will always be ready to help the KP community in the tragic moments of their history and get their justified rights Another ex-Army officer, Major Rameshwar Pande also asked KPs not to feel disheartened. They should continue their struggle, he said and he was sure that they would achieve their objective.

Expressing his sympathy for Kashmiri Hindus Hindu Jana Jagrati Samiti leader Vinay Kumar reassured them that they were not alone in their struggle, but had the backing of a billion Hindus living in the country. With such a mass of population supporting their cause, there is no reason why they would not achieve what they wanted Kashmini Pandit Conference (KPC) leader, Kundan Kashmir, narrated the horrendous events of the night between January 19 and 20 in 1990 Referring to loudspeakers blaring provocative slogans from the mosques that day, he said, not a single Kashmiri Muslim came out to reassure the scared KPs and stop them from fleeing.

There was an attempt to mortgage the KP community to Kashmiri separatists, he lamented. It was strange, he went on to say, that state flag was now being displayed alongside the national flag. He demanded that Kashyapa Land must be granted to Kashmir Hindus where Article 370 of the Constitution would not be applicable .

The voice of KP youth too did not go unrepresented. Expressing his views, Amit Raina said that the Government was not serious about the return of the KPs. Its emphasis is only on their rehabilitation. But the community is now speaking in one voice to have its demand fulfilled.

Young Himalaya Sumbly was of the view that if KPS. were allowed to return to a separate homeland of theirs in the Valley, in a secure atmosphere, that would help in economic development of the area. There is enough talent of entrepreneurship, he said, in the new generation KPS which can be utilised for development.

Manoj Bhan, of the Jammu and Kashmir Vichar Manch, said that the enthusiasm shown by KPS in carrying their movement forward shows that they are united in their basic stand.

The function ended with burning of an effigy of terrorism amidst slogans raised by KP activists demanding death to terrorists. Yasin Malik ko phansi do, Bitta Karate ko phansi do and: Jis Kashmir ko khoon se seencha, woh Kashmir hamara hai, shouted the demonstrators led by KSD president Vijay Raina and moving in a procession with the effigy.

DISCLAIMER: 

The views expressed in the Article above are Jagannath Dhar’s 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: Jagannath Dhar Koshur Samachar 2016, February