These organisations are involved in rehabilitation of the community in the valley through peace negotiations, mobilisation of human rights groups and job creation for the Pandits. While they were left unharmed for the most part, terror groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba massacred Pandits at Sangrampora (1997), Wandhama (1998), and Nandimarg (2003). "Terrorists and jihadis began committing atrocities on all Pandits and Sikhs," he said, adding "The V P Singh government was then running with the support of the BJP.". The crimes committed against the Kashmiri Pandits are, by any yardstick, deserving of the strongest condemnation and there can be no gainsaying the acute It is high time that drastic measures are taken to redress the situation," he said. The two events the flight of the Pandits and the Gawkadal massacre took place within 48 hours, but for years, neither community could accept the pain of the other, and in some ways, still cannot, as each continues to talk past the other. Gen. Li Shangfu, with deep ties to Chinas military space enterprises, is widely expected to become Chinas next minister of defense. Get briefed on the story of the week, and developing stories to watch across the Asia-Pacific. The migrants included some Pandits, although it is possible that some of this community relocated for economic reasons as much as to escape the new rulers. You are not allowed to edit this article at this level. Importantly, Jammu and Kashmirs status has changed. Further, in the same year, the Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress government at the Centre unlocked the gates of the disputed Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi temple for Hindu worship. India is a peaceful country to the extent that its dear neighbor Pakistan works on the premise that whatever madness they do india will politely as The debate over the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits has been reignited after the release of 'Kashmir Files'. They belong to the Pancha Gauda Brahmin group[8] from the Kashmir Valley,[9][10] a mountainous region located within the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. "Ralive-Tsalive-Ya Galive" is a famous rallying call from the time, translating to "convert-leave Kashmir-or perish.". [56][57] They were distributed into the two districts of Valley, the Baramulla district, where Hindus constituted 2.1 percent of the population; 12,919 Hindus out of 612,428 total. Advertisement. Learn More. Speeches were made extolling Pakistan and the supremacy of Islam, and against Hinduism. At events in cities in India and abroad to mark their exodus, Pandits pledged to return home. Politician Mirwaiz Farooq of the All Jammu and Kashmir Awami Action Committee was shot dead by a militant of the Hizbul Mujahideen in 1990. Most Popular. In a door-to-door mission, Hindu homes were attacked, families killed, and many women raped by militants. What did the government of India do when Kashmiri Pundits were driven away from their homes in Kashmir? Why didt they prevent it? Because they did People of india indian govt just stood watching kps haunted down killed and forced into exile. It were saffron communals people like RSS VHP BAJRAN The killings of innocent natives and ethnic cleansing of the Kashmiri Pandits must be seen in the context of the deeper intent to secure the secession of Jammu and Kashmir. But that life of tranquility which they remember so fondly doesnt exist anymore in Kashmir. Singh to appoint Jagmohan as the governor of the state. The year 1984 also saw another crucial event that contributed significantly to the rise of separatist insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir: the hanging Maqbool Bhat, JKLF co-founder and a pioneer of the secessionist movement. By 2011, only an estimated 2,700-3,400 Pandits remained in the Kashmir Valley. However, respect for the Pandits (many of whom were teachers) and a shared Kashmiri identity that held Pandits and Muslims together prevented differences from erupting into conflict. The targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits have continued. The government should set up self-contained townships exclusively for returning Pandits, Dhar says. [29], According to a number of authors, approximately 100,000 of the total Kashmiri Pandit population of 140,000 left the valley during the 1990s. WebThe Exodus of Kashmiri Hindus, or Pandits, is their early-1990 migration, or flight, from the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley in Indian-administered Kashmir following rising violence in an insurgency.Of a total Pandit population of 120,000140,000 some 90,000100,000 left the valley or felt compelled to leave, and about 30 were killed. Hence, the exodus of Kashmiri Pandit started Besides, a Pandit ghetto is sure to be targeted by Islamist radicals, she told The Diplomat. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Threats from Islamist militants in the Valley forced around 70,000 Pandit families comprising over 350,000 women, men, and children to flee their homes in the weeks and months that followed. [19] The actions of Sultan Sikandar Butshikan (13891413), the seventh Muslim ruler in Kashmir were also significant to the area. WebThe Exodus It was 19 th of January, 1990 and days were cold and nights bitter, though there was no snow on the ground. The efforts to resettle Pandits in the Valley in the last two decades have seen ghetto-like structures come up in various parts of Kashmir, ringed by concertina wire with heavy security, underlining that normal life is impossible. Exodus came with a night-long hysteria. Although the pro-independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) said the two men were killed because of their ties with the Indian state rather than their Pandit identity, the Pandits were not convinced. WebThe day marks the beginning of the genocide and ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits on a mass scale that ultimately culminated in the complete exodus of the aboriginal Consequently, riots broke out in Jammu and Kashmir. This led to huge disaffection and political instability. [28], They began to leave in much greater numbers in the 1990s during the eruption of militancy, following persecution and threats by radical Islamists and militants. A number of such errors mar Agnihotri's film, which has been called out for its communal bias. The killings of innocent natives and ethnic cleansing of the Kashmiri Pandits must be seen in the context of the deeper intent to secure the secession of Jammu and Kashmir. But local politicians said the situation was far from normal, and PTI Vivek Agnihotris The Kashmir Files, a movie that delves into the 1990 exodus of lakhs of There is an acute realisation in the community that the Valley is no longer the same that they left behind in 1990. There is little incentive for us to return to the Valley, says the Pandit teacher, drawing attention to the insecurity, lack of economic development and job prospects in Kashmir. The first day of the governor's rule, 19 January 1990, saw the darkest night in the history of the Kashmiri Pandit Exodus. It was replaced by Urdu in 1889 during the Dogra rule. We will go back on our own terms," Kashmiri Samiti president Sunil Shakdher said in August 2002 in response to the then Farooq Abdullah regimes proposed rehabilitation agenda. This decision had helped catalyse the Kashmir genocide's bloody 1990s chapter. [53], Panun Kashmir has made demands for a separate homeland for the community in the southern part of Kashmir. Sun hid behind the clouds and the darkness found its way throughout the daylight. Even our Muslim friends were caught up in the Islamist frenzy of that period, Dhar recalled. Congress' leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday sought to corner the ruling BJP over the exodus of minorities from Kashmir in 1990s, saying then Leader of Opposition Rajiv Gandhi had urged the then VP Singh government to intervene and stop the "atrocities" being committed on Kashmiri Pandits and Sikhs. At first Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), the founding leader of Jamat opposed direct involvement as it would destroy the organization and open it to Indian assault by security forces. Citizens of Jammu took to the streets to protest the erection of the masjid on the secretariat premises. [70] They also wear the mekhal, which is a type of girdle. The debate surrounding the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits has been reignited following the release of a film on it -- 'The Kashmir Files'. Sanjay Tickoo, a Kashmiri Pandit was barely 20-years-old in 1989-90, when he witnessed what came to be known as the "Kashmiri Pandit Exodus". Indian forces are specially ordered to keep high surveillance on Kashmir and Kashmiris. In Anantnag, the constituency of then Congress leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, there was a series of attacks on Hindu temples, and shops and properties of Kashmiri Pandits, blamed on separatist and secessionists. The exodus took place at the same time that the BJP was upping the ante across northern India, and over the years, the plight of Kashmiri Pandits has become a potent Hindutva issue. A BJP-supported Janata Dal government was at the Centre at the time of the exodus in 1990. In 2011 as per government estimates, about 2,700 to 3,400 Pandits were in the Valley. Pandits have generally been in favor of Kashmirs closer integration with India. Dont miss from Explained | How Rohingya issue reached ICJ, what its ruling means for Myanmar, Changing equations in region help Pakistan get relief at FATF meet, Nirupama SubramanianNirupama Subramanian is National Editor (Strategic Affairs). [34] Many of the refugee Kashmiri Pandits have been living in abject conditions in refugee camps of Jammu. Asia, Pacific WebGenocide of Kashmiri Pandits. [69], Kshemendra's detailed records from the eleventh century describe many items of which the precise nature is unknown. Much has changed in Jammu and Kashmir. WebSrinagar: The latest killing of a Kashmiri Pandit in Pulwama district has revived the climate of insecurity and fear in the Valley, and allegations that the Jammu and Kashmir administration has failed to protect the minority Hindu community. For impactful stories you just cant miss, By subscribing you agree to our Privacy Policy. Twenty of Pakistans poorest districts have been chosen for implementation of the Ministry of Plannings development plan for 2022-2027. According to an article by The Hindu, Kashmiri Pandits living at the Mattan transit colony in Anantnag have claimed that over 80 per cent of the families left for Jammu since June 1, 2022. Several Hindu temples and houses were targeted in the city. [61] Scholar Alexander Evans estimates by 1990, there would have been 160,000170,000 Pandits in the Kashmir Valley. While India would like the current phase of stability at the LoC to continue, it has little incentive to try to make a grand gesture toward peace with Pakistan. He was one of the first persons to help them after which Punjab also followed suit. 1,168-crore package in 2008 by the UPA government. [42] The local organisation of pandits in Kashmir, Kashmir Pandit Sangharsh Samiti after carrying out a survey in 2008 and 2009, said that 399 Kashmiri Pandits were killed by insurgents from 1990 to 2011 with 75% of them being killed during the first year of the Kashmiri insurgency. immediately after Independence in 1947. Manish Sisodia Delhi excise policy case: how the right against self-incri What was the UN event representatives of Nithyanandas Kailasa attended? WebIt clearly says that the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits started in late 1989. Asia, Central It is 30 years since the exodus from the Valley of its minority Hindu Kashmiri Pandit community. Their numbers would swell in the following months. He announced that if they chose to stay back, he would not be able to guarantee their safety. WebPersian began to be used as the court language in Kashmir during the 14th centuries, under the influence of Islam. With the Indian government revoking Article 370 of the constitution in August 2019, Jammu and Kashmir has been deprived of its special status of limited autonomy. An eye-witness report by two investigative journalists on the ground in Prato, Italy. Happy Editing! Sheikh Abdullah had died in 1982, and the leadership of the National Conference passed on to his son Farooq Abdullah, who won the 1983 election. Harmukh is traditionally revered by Kashmiri Pandits and in 2009 there was an attempt by them to revive pilgrimages to the site. Dr. Sudha Ramachandran is an independent journalist/researcher based in Bangalore, India. One of the deadliest attacks on Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley took place in 2003, more than a decade after the peak of the exodus. [64] Wanvun singing is an integral part of Kashmiri Pandit religious ceremonies. A large number of Hindu houses were attacked, shops looted, and temples vandalised in Vanpoh, Anantnag, and Sopore, among others. [27][28], In the 1981 census, the Kashmir Division had 124,078 Hindus, the majority of whom were Pandits. Speaking truth to power requires allies like you. What happened in January 1990 is bitterly contested. For instance, it suggests that a threat asking Kashmiri Pandits to leave the Valley was issued in Al-Safa before the exodus, thereby contributing to the forced migration. Why this hindu escape from tthier.brith Places or home land. What is the reason Ifound..One is no unity of hindu socity..still and yesterday also.. Successive governments have promised that they will help this process, but the situation on the ground in Kashmir has meant this remains only an intention. He asked Kashmiri Muslims to make Pandits feel more secure. This gentleman in Kashmir is giving Burnol moments to Shehla Rashid, Rana Ayub & their ilk by posting daily irrefutable video proofs from Srinagar. Even today [75], The Kashmiri Pandits are divided into three subcastes: Guru/Bchabat (priests), Jotish (astrologers), and Krkun (who were historically mainly employed by the government). Historical India is an opensource community based project dedicated to the history of Greater India. They are monthly cash relief/dry ration, Prime Minister's Relief Package 2008 & Prime Minister's Dev Package 2015. It appears to have archaic features that suggest it is the oldest form of Kashmiri folk singing. [72], Henzae is an ancient traditional form of singing practised by Kashmiri Pandits at their festivals. They couldnt. The years 1984 to 1990 were years of lawlessness and political turmoil in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the Kashmi On 21 January 1990, two days into the governor's rule, the paramilitary troops of the Central Police Reserve Force (CRPF) opened fire on a group of protesting And the Prime Minister has said that the truth is coming out. 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