Er P L Khushu
Kashmiri Pandit community as a whole is thankful and obliged to the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha who paid tributes to legendary poet and freedom fighter Sarwanand Koul Premi on his death anniversary just a few days back. It is to be reminded here, that Sarwanand Koul Premi was killed by terrorists, on May 1, 1990. Remembering Sarwanand Koul Premi, the Lt Governor said Sarwanand was a towering man of ideas and ideals. He was undoubtedly one of the greatest writers of his time with deep commitment for upliftment of downtrodden & weaker sections of society. Jammu Kashmir is called the heaven on earth, not only because of its scenic beauty, but the great personalities like Sarwanand, who dedicated his life to serve the others, observed the Lt Governor. It is to be appreciated by Kashmiri Pandit community as a whole that Sarwanand Koul Premi was conferred with lifetime achievement award posthumously, by J&K Government in 2022. A Higher Secondary School in his village Sof-Shali (Saft-Shaleshwar), Anantnag, has also been named after him. His name was also included in the list of Unsung Heroes of the freedom movement under Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav. A special postal cover and postal stamp on him has been released by the Ministry of Communication in 2021.
Such a move by the present dispensation headed by the Lieutenant Governor, would have been more appreciable had the thousands of Kashmiri Pandit martyrs of 1989 and onwards who became the ducked targets of terrorists, been also paid such a homage and tributes. Who will mourn their martyrdom, who were more reputed, legendary and the personalities of great repute and intellectual acumen? Probably none, as it needs a persuasion at the level of the bureaucracy of the administration of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. This is what is known as hypocrisy at the higher levels of administration. Sarwanand Koul Premi and his son who were martyred during terrorism are not the only martyrs of terrorism in Kashmir, though their martyrdom is highly recognized by every Kashmiri Pandit, There are hundreds of such KP martyrs who were mercilessly killed by the terrorists during that period. Should the harrowing night of 19th January-1990, be forgotten by the Kashmiri Pandits of the valley, when they were warned to flee from Kashmir, through the red signals from the loud speakers of religious mosques, in the name of Islamic Jehad, followed by selective mass massacre of Kashmiri Pandits, through the bullets of the terrorists. The dark night of January 19, 1990, shivering with cold, is remembered by all of them, as it was the worst nightmare for the Kashmiri Pandits living in the valley. Screaming from loud speakers and crowded streets was a message for KPs living in Kashmir, which said Ralive, Tsaliv, Neti- Galiv. (It meant that either convert to Islam or leave Kashmir and in the alternative face death). Even after about 32 years, Kashmiri Pandits shiver remembering the night which forced them into exodus and a life of exile within their own country.
Recent killings of young community members remind us all about the mass killings and mass exodus of the Kashmir Pandits in 1990, due to the terrorism. These young Kashmiri Pandit martyrs join our other distinguished personalities who were martyred decades back in a similar manner. On 14 September 1989, Pandit Tika Lal Taploo, who was a prominent leader of KPs, was murdered by the JKLF in Srinagar. Prominent lawyer Prem Nath Bhat from Anantnag Kashmir, was gunned down on 27th December-1989 in South Kashmir.
Soon after Taploo’s death, Nilkanth Ganjoo, an eminent judge who had sentenced Maqbul Bhat to death, was shot dead. Several intelligence operatives were assassinated, over the course of January. On 2nd February 1990, Satish Tikoo, a young Hindu Pandit social-worker was murdered near his own house in Habba Kadal. On 13 February 1990, Lassa Kaul, Station Director of Srinagar Doordarshan, was shot dead. This is only a small tale of KPs who were killed brutally, because of being Kashmiri Pandits.
Many Kashmiri Hindu women were kidnapped, raped and murdered, during this period of exodus. In March 1997, terrorists dragged out seven Kashmiri Pandits from their houses in Sangrampora village and gunned them down. In January 1998, about 23 Kashmiri Pandits, including women and children, shot in cold blood in Wandhama Village. In March 2003, about 24 Kashmiri Pandits, including infants, brutally shot dead in Nadimarg Village. More than 4, 00,000 Kashmiri Pandits left the Valley and took refuge in Jammu and elsewhere, leaving their entire properties and belongings in the valley to the mercy of terrorists and Jehadi’s.
More than 1500 KPs were killed by terrorists when most of them after being maimed and tortured in most inhumane ways. Over 800 KPs died due to sunstroke, snakebites in refugee camps at Jammu and Delhi. Over 8000 KP refugees died unnatural deaths while living in sub-human conditions in exile.
Over 30,000 residential houses, business establishments, shops, small scale industries, were gutted by the Jehadi’s and others in the valley. Most of the shops of KP’s have been illegally occupied in Srinagar city alone by the local Muslims at the behest of Jehadi’s. About 145 Hindu shrines and temples were burnt by the terrorists in Kashmir. This is only a small summary about the whole story of exodus and KPs sufferance’s. There are other horrifying tales too, which cannot be mentioned here because of the paucity of space.
I would love to reveal my own tale of this terror, when the terrorists had come to my place to kill me on 1st March-1990. Since I was away at Jammu for attending an official meeting, the death spared me. The space being quite less here, I am not able to give the full details. The government of the day should know it before identifying individual cases of martyrdom of KPs. Probably it makes a distinguished identifications of selective preferences of martyrs of KPs on the basis of unfortunate preferential paradoxes, which is not fair and equable.
Who does not know the sacrifices of Pt. Tika Lal Taploo for his community as a minority leader who fought elections in Srinagar against communal odds and frenzies? Who does not know as to how much loyal and committed he remained to the cause of the problems of the KP’s in regard to the mass discriminations against KP’s in every sphere of development, by the then political set up abetted and supported by the congress from Delhi. Probably he paid a heavy price for it, when he was the first target of the bullets of the terrorists in broad day light on the streets of Srinagar city. There has been no official mourning so far for his martyrdom, which is an actual martyrdom for the cause of the KP community. What was the fault of Pt Neel Kanth Ganjoo, prominent retired senior judge, to get butchered at the hands of terrorists in broad day light on the streets of Srinagar city. His fault was that he had taken recourse to legal procedures in awarding death sentence to Maqbool Bhat a high profile terrorist of earlier days. Was his martyrdom ever mourned officially, though deserving so more than anyone else.
On 2nd February 1990, Satish Tikoo, a young Hindu Pandit social-worker was murdered near his own house in Habba Kadal. What was his fault? Who has mourned his martyrdom. His family members and none else. On 13 February 1990, Lassa Kaul, Station Director of Srinagar Doordarshan, was shot dead. What was his fault. Yes, his fault was that he was the station director of the Doordarshan Srinagar, being a KP, unacceptable to the Muslim community. Who mourned his death and martyrdom? A reputed and a distinguished lawyer Prem Nath Bhat from Anantnag Kashmir, was gunned down on 27th December-1989 in South Kashmir. Was his martyrdom ever been condoled officially.
These are minuscule instances being quoted here. There are hundreds of such martyrs of KPs who have been killed and butchered by the terrorists and have remained unwept and unsung so far, across the length and breadth of the valley of Kashmir. Ignoring the martyrdom of such like personalities and other KP martyrs may amount to a serious discrimination, by the administration of the day, against KP martyrs who have remained unwept and unsung so far.
Getting reminded about the sad event of March 1997, when terrorists dragged out seven Kashmiri Pandits from their houses in Sangrampora village and gunned them down. Similarly In January 1998, about 23 Kashmiri Pandits, including women and children, shot in cold blood in Wandhama Village. In March 2003, about 24 Kashmiri Pandits, including infants, brutally shot dead in Nadimarg Village.
Should there be bigger martyrdom of KPs with the brutal killings and carnages of KPs in Sangrampora village, Wandhma Village and Nadimarg Village. Unfortunate for we the KPs of all ranks and files to see the apathies of the governments of earlier times, as also of the present day, to ignore such mass martyrdom of such KPs. If the government of the day can name a school after the name of a distinguished martyr, on individual basis and rightly so, why not to construct ‘Martyr Memorials’, in all such villages were KP’s were massacred brutally. Why can not the schools and health centers at all such locations be named after such KP martyrs.
Similarly why should not the schools colleges and hospitals in the valley be named in the names of the heroic martyrs like Pt Tika Lal Taploo, Pt Nilkanth Ganjoo, Satish Tickoo , Pt Lassa Koul, Prem Nath Bhat and the other heroic martyrs of KPs, at all such locations of the valley of Kashmir where ever they rendered their martyrdom. The government of the day has to consider this suggestion, on priority and merit, as the precedence has already been laid by naming a school in the name of Pt Sarwanad Koul Premi in his home village, which is appreciable. The sad night of the 19th January of 1990, which is the night of dooms day for the KP’s, who are now scattered as refugees in their own country, yearning to return back to their lost homes and hearths in Kashmir, needs a recognition by the administration of the day, when it has been ignored by previous governments so far. In fact this day of 19th January needs to be observed as a “Martyrs Day” officially in Jammu and Kashmir every year in the name of the martyrs of Kashmiri Pandits, who scarified their lives for their home land to keep India alive in Jammu and Kashmir. Obituaries and seminars of remembrances of KP martyrs need to be observed in Jammu and Kashmir on this day every year officially. Similarly the remembrance days of the brutal killings and carnages of KPs in Sangrampora village, Wandhma Village and the Nadimarg Village, needs to be observed individually on all such days of its happenings, at all these locations, to pay homage’s to the mass martyrs of KP’s of these locations. It will mean a real tribute to the mass martyrs of KP’s who lost their lives for the cause of the nation as a whole.
(The author is a Chartered Consultant Civil Engineer, passionately attached and devoted to his motherland – Jammu & Kashmir).