From the President s Desk

 

Respected Biradari Members

 Namaskar

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our members for standing with us at every critical juncture. Your unwavering support has been the foundation of our collective resolve to fight against the challenges we face, united as a community. As we confront even greater hurdles ahead, we are reminded of the neglect and injustice our community continues to endure. Efforts to downplay or appropriate the genocide we suffered at the hands of successive administrative establishments remain deeply troubling A recent statement by a Minority Commission member in Srinagar, asserting that "there is no negative attitude among the people of Kashmir towards the migrants," underscores the ongoing hate propaganda, the glorification of terrorists, and the persistent lack of accountability for the horrors of 1990. Such remarks, dismissing our suffering and urging us to "forget the past," are an affront to the sacrifices and pain endured by the Kashmiri Pandit community. It is encouraging that the concerned member has been removed from her position, but this incident reflects the insensitivity and denial that continue to plague us. As we step into a new year, the world may anticipate surprises, but for us, the challenge of survival remains paramount. Exiled from our homeland, we are deprived of the fruits of democracy, freedom, and justice. Our ancestral land, rich in cultural and civilizational heritage spanning thousands of years, remains an inseparable part of our identity. Our intellectual legacy and resilience in carrying forward this heritage, even in the face of hostility, are the inner strengths that sustain us. Yet, we remain marginalized, unable to live or move freely in our own land-the Kashmir Valley. This homeland, deeply etched into our blood and identity, calls out to us with every drop that courses through our veins. Every year on January 19, we relive the horrors of the Holocaust and the genocide inflicted upon our community by Islamist zealots. These were followers of a faith that claims to espouse peace but has, since 1339, subjected us to repeated brutality and denied us coexistence. Only during the reigns of the Sikh and Dogra Kingdoms did we experience true peace and harmony with the Muslims of the valley. This respite was further assured by the constitutional framework of India when Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession. However, this promise of security was betrayed. The secular dispensation, tainted with communal prejudice, compromised the democratic rights of Kashmiri Pandits. The special status granted to lammu & Kashmir was a monumental strategic blunder, which came at a heavy cost. Land reforms were introduced that stripped Pandits of their lands without adequate compensation, and systematic discrimination in education, jobs, and public life forced many talented individuals to leave the valley in despair. As hatred towards the Indian state grew along communal lines, the Kashmiri Hindus faced relentless marginalization, culminating in the tragic events of January 1990. Masjid loudspeakers and newspaper advertisements openly threatened Kashmiri Pandits, asking them to leave their homeland, convert to Islam, or face death. Women were specifically targeted, and the community was left with no choice but to flee. This occurred under the watchful eyes of secular India, with no meaningful intervention by political forces. Today, we are told to forget and forgive," but how can we when those responsible for our displacement and suffering now wield power once again? How can we return when everything we owned and cherished has been destroyed or taken from us? As India celebrates its 76th year of independence during Amrit Kaal, we Kashmiri Pandits mark 36 years of exile, genocide, and displacement. This stark contrast questions the very foundations of democracy, social justice, and secularism. While the nation unites to address even isolated cases of discrimination against other communities, our plight remains overlooked and unresolved. This double standard must end. The time has come to confront these truths and demand accountability. Our fight is not just for the Kashmiri Pandit community but for the principles of justice, equality, and humanity.

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Courtesy:  Sumeer Chrungoo and Koshur Samachar-2025, February