Er. P.L.Khushu
It is very much encouraging to observe that settlement of Kashmir Pandits back in valley is gaining ground, as per long promises made after BJP assumed power in the centre way back in 2014, in this regard. This has reference to the fact that the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha chaired a high-level meeting on the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Union Territory some days back. The LG has asked officials to take proactive steps to facilitate the return of those who faced exodus in 1990. The meeting that happened in Raj Bhavan also witnessed LG Sinha’s instructions to roll out directions of proper communication with the entire community. The administration is also directed to ensure that the entire Kashmiri Pandit population was registered with J&K Government. The administrative council of Jammu and Kashmir headed by Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha approved the transfer of 278 canal lands in 5 districts for the construction of over 2600 flats as transit accommodation to ensure the return of Kashmiri migrant employees. The land has been transferred to the department of disaster relief rehabilitation and reconstruction under Prime Minister’s development package 2015. The estimated cost for the project stands at 356 crores and construction will be done at 7 locations in Kashmir. The current development to felicitate the return of Kashmiri Pandits is done as part of the Prime Minister’s development package 2015, under which planning for more than 6,000 houses with an estimated cost of Rs 920 crores has been done. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in 2015 had announced Rs. 80,000-crore package for a progressive and prosperous development in the valley. Better late than never. It is said that well begun is half done. It is a historical decision of the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha in this regard, for which the displaced Pandits of Kashmir are highly obliged to the Lieutenant Governor. At least somebody meaningful has understood the protracted logistic pain of the displaced Pandits for being Indians in Kashmir. Nothing tangible was done so far by the authorities in power, including the elitist political clan of BJP, except for making promises in public gatherings or the parliament of India. This is a providential step to provide transit accommodation to the Kashmiri Pandit migrant employees who feel handicapped for a secured and a safe accommodation while working in Kashmir, due to the threat of terrorism. Such a step will pave a way for taking up bold and regulatory steps by the administration, at the meaningful directions of the political leadership ruling the country, to ensure the return of the displaced Kashmiri Pandits back to their home and hearths. Yet it has to done in such a manner so that they may not again become fodder to the guns of the terrorists. Their safe and an honorable return to their homes have to be ensured keeping in view the Islamic fundamentalist based terror loaded political situation of Kashmir. Kashmiri Pandits exodus occurred in year 1990-91, the dark period for the community, as they were forced out of the Valley under the threat of terror by the Islamic fundamentalists, when the terrorism coupled with extreme terror activities started in Kashmir valley. 19th January, 1990 came to be known by Kashmiri Hindus as ‘Exodus Day’, in memory of Kashmiri Hindus who were either killed or forced out of Kashmir. January month of each year, after 19th January-1990, haunts each and every Kashmiri Pandit, living in forced exile across the country of the horrors and woes of this month, when they were forced to flee from Kashmir due to the terror dragon of the Islamist fundamentalists on this day. 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 KP’s living in Kashmir, which said ‘Ralive, Tsaliv, Neti- Galiv.’ (Means 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. Jehadi cum communal speeches from mosques were put on loud speakers meant for ‘Azaan of Namaz’, which would say ‘Yeti- Bani Pakistan, Bhatov Bhegeer the Bhatenen-San’, means Kashmir will become a Pakistan without male Kashmiri Pandits, but including womenfolk of Kashmiri Pandits. A sizeable number of Kashmiri Pandits were killed, their houses burnt and looted. Many Kashmiri Hindu women were kidnapped, raped and murdered, during the period of exodus.
The administrative set-ups, both at the central government and the state government levels never bothered enough to address seriously such a devastation of the KPs. The subsequent governments including the Governor’s rules since that time spanning over about 30 years after the spurt of terrorism in Kashmir, never thought of the return of Kashmiri Pandits back to their homes in the valley. The situation got more compounded with the governments of NC, PDP-Congress coalition, NC-Congress coalitions. These political parties would derive their bread and butter from the central governments ruled by Congress and their political bread and butter from the secessionist elements of Kashmir as per their vote bank politics. They were thus not concerned at all for the KPs, which was supported by the Congress rule at the centre as per its appeasement policies towards minorities, ignoring the KP’s being Hindus. The subsequent coalition of PDP-BJP, became another major thaw in this process of rehabilitating of the KPs back in Kashmir, for which Kashmiri Pandits hold BJP squarely responsible for going for such an abnormal coalition. Such an approach on the part of the power corridors of the governance has not only deprived this community of their fundamental rights, but is an extreme act of human rights violation. Kashmiri Pandits want a return to their ‘homeland’, but not to the servitude of terrorists or the politicians who are pseudo secular with dynastic base. As soon as such a news in the past, with regard to government moves for the rehabilitation of KP’s, became public, Muslim leadership across the political divide in Kashmir valley rejected the return of KP’s to any kind of secured settlements in the valley.This unanimous rejection of the return of KP’s to the Valley by the entire majority populace of Kashmir along with their leadership and the pseudo secularist political leaders of Kashmir, clearly shows that the forced migration of Kashmiri Hindus was not only an act committed by a few, but an organized off shoot of ‘Islamic Jehad’.
Under these circumstances the only choice left with the Kashmiri Pandits is to have a separate ‘Homeland’, to live with dignity and honor apart from with ensuring security for themselves against any terrorist attacks and assaults. The issue of separate townships for Kashmiri Hindus has been a source of contention in Kashmir valley with Islamists, separatists as well as mainstream political parties all opposing it. Hizbul Mujahedeen, had threatened of attacking the ‘Hindu composite townships’ which were meant to be built for the rehabilitation of the non-Muslim community. During the 2016 Kashmir unrest, transit camps housing Kashmir Hindus in Kashmir were attacked by mobs. About 200-300 Kashmiri Hindu employees fled the transit camps in Kashmir during night time on 12 July, 2016, due to the attacks by protesters on the camps. A Kashmiri-Pandit Sarpanch Ajay Pandita Bharti was killed in June 2020. Recently another Kashmiri Pandit, Rakesh Randita, a municipal councilor of Tral Municipality was killed in broad day light by the terrorists. Kashmiri Pandits are highly obliged and thankful to Jammu and its people who accommodated them with warmth in Jammu, in that hour of their devastation, where they could find a first place of solace to exist and live. Even as on day most of the displaced KP’s are now living in Jammu and its surroundings with the passionate coverage of Jammu people. Al KP’s are thus very much indebted to the people of Jammu in this regard. Kashmiri Pandits are shrinking in numbers, being scattered all over the country in insignificant clusters. As a race Kashmiri Pandits are certainly declining in numbers after this genocide. Kashmiri Pandits tried a lot to have a commission of enquiry about their forced exodus and genocide, but it has not been considered by any authority in power.
Kashmiri Pandits community who have almost lost all the hopes for their return to Kashmir, for being consistently neglected by the powers in power, this gesture shown by the lieutenant Governor, has revived a hope in them about their return back to their homes and hearths in Kashmir. It is pertinent to mention here that sometime back the lieutenant Governor had assured of a government plan in this regard. He had further said that a lot has been thought about the community and soon something is going to happen. He had equally said that we are talking about 6,000 jobs and equal number of residential accommodation for migrant KPs in the Valley. This is a minute part of rehabilitation of the community in the Valley. What made this statement remarkable was that it has ceremoniously delinked employment from the return plan. The entire KP displaced community compliments the Lieutenant Governor for those soothing statements then, which is now matching with his new statements in this regard. This job of rehabilitation of KP’s back in their homes and hearths is not an easy task. It needs a big mind and a big resolute decision which can come from a matured administrator politician only, which in the instant case appears to be the present Lieutenant Governor only. The biggest task before the present government apart from rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits, in the valley, is to constitute a commission of enquiry for their genocide and exodus. Second most important demand of Kashmiri Pandits is their rehabilitation back in Kashmir, with dignity and honour. A tangible space needs be carved within the Kashmir valley, in between the ranges of south Kashmir and the north Kashmir, for the creation of the ‘homeland’ for the rehabilitation of the KP’s, which has to be given a status of the Union Territory, with in the Union of India. This space is to be called as the ‘Homeland of KP’s’. It should have separate independent governance absolutely free from any encumbrance. Such a step alone will ensure the safe and dignified return and rehabilitation of the KP’s to their places of birth which they were forced to leave along with their belongings and heritages. How can KP’s under the circumstances of Jehadi terror and hostile atmosphere of even the so called pseudo secularist, get rehabilitated back in the valley, even if it may be within the safe clusters? Can they have a safe and a free movement or freedom? Certainly not. It should not mean another exodus for them. The displaced persons feel economically and politically disempowered. The benefits which should normally accrue to them for being in minority, in Jammu & Kashmir, should be addressed with an open mind by the administration. Reservation of seats for Assembly and Parliament for the minorities of Kashmir valley, which means the KPs has to be prioritized, so that they are represented politically in the deliverance of governance in J&K. There is a long standing demand of the KPs to have legislation for protection of Hindu Temples and Shrines in the valley which are reduced to very bad conditions. This needs to be legislated to protect these religious places of the KPs. Let us, as Kashmiri Pandits, congratulate ourselves and wish a grand success to the Lieutenant Governor in his mission of rehabilitating the displaced Pandits of Kashmir back to their homes and hearths, when the posterity will mention him as an ‘Avatar’ sent to mitigate pains and agony of KPs of last more than 32 years, while living in exile.
(The author is a Chartered Consultant Civil Engineer, passionately attached to his motherland-Jammu & Kashmir)