Ravinder Jalali
19th January is a day, observed as Holocaust Day (Nishkasan Day) every year by Kashmiri Pandit (KP) community. It is the day when the Kashmiri Pandits in 1990`s, were shown the mirror by the majority community of Kashmir that if KPs want to live in Valley then it is to be under the ‘Nizami Mustafa’ i.e. the Islamic rule. While resisting the orchestrated moves fostered by Muslim communalists inside the State and their mentors in Pakistan to Islamise the Kashmir and snatch it from India, the KPs became the victims of communal hatred and faced hostility. Kashmiri Pandits` was miniscule minority in a Muslim majority Kashmir Valley, having distinct culture, race and language which find its traces to more than 5,000 years back. The KPs have become the first victims of terrorism as a result and were hounded out from the place of their abode. In fact, they are the original inhabitants of the Valley of Kashmir, now reduced to an ethnic minority.
The happenings of 2016 should be an eye opener for those who still hope that KPs would go back to their respective places. When the Govt made a move that it will resettle KPs in Valley, all hell broke in Valley and opposed the return of KPs. These include all Kashmir centric leadership whether separatists, pseudo secular parties like National Conference and Congress. Even the ruling combine rejected the move under the pressure of separatists and had to abandon the move. The Chief Minister made a statement in the Assembly that there will be no separate township but will be placed in transit camps temporarily before being shifted to their original places of residences which no longer exists. This seems to be hypothetical and amusing.
Needless to remind the readers that it was on 4th January, 1990, a local Urdu newspaper publishes a press release issued by Hizb-ul Mujahedeen, to wage Jihad for J and K’s secession from India and accession to Pakistan, asking all Hindus to pack up and leave. Masked men run amok, waving Kalashnikovs, shooting to kill and shouting anti-India slogans. Reports of killing of Hindus, invariably Kashmiri Pandits, begin to trickle in; there were explosions; inflammatory speeches were made from the pulpits of mosques, using public address systems meant for calling the faithful to prayers. A terrifying fear psychosis began to take grip of Kashmiri Pandits. Walls are plastered with posters and handbills, summarily ordering all Kashmiris to strictly follow the Islamic dress code, prohibiting the sale and consumption of alcoholic drinks and imposing a ban on video parlours and cinemas. The masked men with Kalashnikovs force people to re-set their watches and clocks to Pakistan Standard Time. Notices are pasted on doors of many Pandit houses asking the occupants to leave Kashmir within 24 hours or face death and worse.
On 19th January, 1990, which is being observed as Holocaust Day every year by KP community, Farooq Abdullah the then Chief Minister, whose pathetic and whimpering, government has ceased to exist. Throughout the day, JKLF and Hizbul Mujahedeen terrorists use public address systems at mosques to exhort people to defy curfew and take to the streets. Masked men, firing from their Kalashnikovs, march up and down, terrorising Pandits who, by then, have locked themselves in their homes. As evening falls, the exhortations become louder and shriller. Three taped slogans were repeatedly played the whole night from mosques: ‘Kashmir mei agar rehna hai, Allah-O-Akbar kehna hai’ (If you want to stay in Kashmir, you have to say Allah-O-Akbar); ‘Yahan kya chalega, Nizam-e-Mustafa’ (What do we want here? Rule of Shariah); ‘Asi Gachchi Pakistan, Batao Roas Te Batanev san’ (We want Pakistan along with Hindu women but without their men).
Whatever be the variations in the circumstances of the K Ps` history, be their fate might have brought to them in the past, these all becomes insignificant in comparison to what has happened to them in 1989 and 1990 and thereafter. The tragedy is compounded by fact that one of the intelligent subtle and proud community of the country is being virtually reduced to extinction in free and secular India and this has not happened under the tyrannical rule of ruthless rulers of Mughal and Afghan Governors but under the leaders who are considered secular and liberal. Now we have to ensure that there is no more any further exodus after it and let it be the last and final.
The return of KPs is not a matter of survival but is of their living with honour. KPs have survived for the last 26 years despite all the hardships and impediments and will continue to survive further but the question is whether they will be allowed to live without fear and a sword hanging over them.
KPs do not want to go back to Islamic theocratic State but to a secular State as mentioned in the Indian Constitution. In a separate homeland for KPs, as enshrined in the Margdarshan resolution of 1991, the ethnicity, culture and heritage of KPs can be protected and preserved. Homeland will enshrine the free flow of Constitution of India where Tricolour will be unfurled without any restrictions, National Anthem and national song will be played. It will have educational institutions where the
children will start the day with National Anthem and moral values will be imparted to the children. It will be place where no Pakistani or ISIS flags will be hoisted and no gun culture will prevail. It will be the place where the Tri-colour will not be abused or desecrated. It will be the place where Republic Day and Independence Day will be celebrated with gaiety and full enthusiasm which is no where seen, felt or observed in the Valley unlike in other parts of State where people voluntarily, even people living in Jhuugis and Jhompris also celebrate these festivals. Whole of the J and K State and country except Valley, gives a festive look unlike in Valley where it gives a deserted look and a pal of gloom has descended, rather the Pakistan’s Independence Day and National Day is celebrated. Does the Govt. have answers to all these questions? Can Govt. ensure these things? We have to issue circulars for enforcing these things and strangely no body follows. These remain only paper instructions.
The misfortune of our country is that we have leaders who have no regard for facts or truth and whose superficiality is matched only by their unprincipled politics. Poisonous seeds were persistently planted in the Kashmir psyche. And these were liberally fertilised. Those of whose obligation it was to stop these plantations and their fertilisation were nurturing and encouraging. It is happening even today. Dreaded terrorists are being labelled as martyrs in the well of the assembly. When the PM of a country and CM publicly announced that Pandits will be rehabilitated in concentration in Kashmir, hell broke out in the Valley. There were shut down and protests in the entire Valley and the echo was heard in Assembly where the entire opposition along with those on treasury benches opposed with one voice. Even the Ex. CM Mufti Mohd. Syed opposed it saying, on the floor of the House, that we will not allow such Israel type of colonies in Valley. How just less than two percent of KPs of total Valley population, will become Israel? This has exposed the tall claim of all Valley based political leaders, their parties and the separatists claiming of communal harmony in Kashmir.
The only viable and pragmatic solution is to have a separate Homeland for KPs as per Margdarshan Resolution of 1991, where they can live with honour and dignity, and without Damocles Sword hanging over them and with free flow of Indian Constitution. Those who oppose the separate homeland for KPs will be committing the sin of letting down the India in Kashmir. Their conscious may condone their negligence but not condone their sins of becoming hindrance to the formation of a Separate Homeland for exiled community of KPs.