Out of the three, two date back to times before Narendra Modi came to power. [65] The Mata Kheerbhawani[66] temple shrine in Srinagar, considered one of the holiest Hindu shrines, saw the largest gathering of Kashmiri Pandits in the Kashmir valley in 2012. 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. They were assured that once the massacre in Kashmir was completed and the movement (for self-determination) curbed, they would be sent back to According to some estimates, notably by the Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti (KPSS), of 75,343 Kashmiri Pandit families in January 1990, more than 70,000 fled between 1990 and 1992. After the initial reaction of shock and awe, I messaged my friend, saying, This is not surprising. The lead up to the Kashmiri Hindu exodus In 1989, the then J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah had ordered the release of around 70 terrorists between July In Jammus Jagti migrant camp, where at least 20,000 migrant Kashmiri Pandits live, the residents have been protesting for the past 146 days. Some scholars have suggested a higher figure of approximately 150,000 for A day after a Kashmiri Pandit's killing in Pulwama, the Bharatiya Janta Party on Monday held protests at several places in Kashmir. "Kashmiri Pandits responsible for duress against Muslims should leave the Valley within two days," read a headline of a local Urdu newspaper, Al-Safa, on 14 April 1990. At the minimum level, these terms would include security to life and property and, at a broader level, a consensual rehabilitation scheme.[ref]. A BJP-supported Janata Dal government was at the Centre at the time of the exodus in 1990. 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. The flight continued until 2000. [56], Following the 1989 insurgency, a great majority of Pandits felt threatened and left the Kashmir Valley for other parts of India. [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. It marked a shift in the motivations behind the militancy in Kashmir hitherto driven primarily be a separatist sentiment, it now took a more communal colour and moved towards jihad. Armed militants, dressed in army fatigues, infiltrated a colony of Kashmiri Pandits in Pulwama's Nadimarg on 23 March 2003. Click here to subscribe for full access. But theres just as much, if not more, tracking in the virtual world.". In a door-to-door mission, Hindu homes were attacked, families killed, and many women raped by militants. 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". Men, too, might adopt stylish arrangements and wear flowers in their hair, if they had the financial means to do so. With tensions peaking, hundreds of Pandit families began their journey out of the Valley. According to accounts published by many eminent Kashmiri Pandits, there were threatening slogans over loudspeakers from mosques, and on the streets. Consequently, riots broke out in Jammu and Kashmir. They have not done so because the situation in the Valley remains unstable and they fear a risk to their lives. The KPSS has placed the number of Kashmiri Pandits killed by militants from 1990 to 2011 at 399, the majority during 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. This decision had helped catalyse the Kashmir genocide's bloody 1990s chapter. Kashmir has also been a land of Sun worship with shrines such as Martand Sun Temple established by Lalitaditya Muktapida. But as the situation in Kashmir spiralled into a full-blown militancy, return began to look remote if not impossible. With hastily packed belongings and terror in their hearts, Kashmiri Pandits who survived the night fled the Valley on 20 January morning and the weeks that followed, becoming refugees in their homeland. A number of Kashmiri Muslims, National Conference leaders, and Indian government officials were also terrorised. 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. [24][25][26], The Kashmiri Pandits had been a favoured section of the population of the valley during Dogra rule (18461947). What is the truth of the 1990s Kashmiri Pandit migration? Because the truth is worth it.). An important issue of concern is security. V. P. Singh appointed Jagmohan as Governor on 19 January 1990. The Pakistani military and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) are said to have provided weapons, training, and logistical support to the JKLF. WebMaybe. Happy Editing! He asked Kashmiri Muslims to make Pandits feel more secure. [54] Ikkjutt Jammu, a political party in Jammu and Kashmir, advocates for two Union Territories in Kashmir, one being Panun Kashmir for Kashmiri Hindus. "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.". Yearly Plan. Successive governments in New Delhi and Srinagar have attempted to draw displaced Pandits back to the Valley. All three subcastes interdine and interteach, but only the Jotish and Krkun subcastes intermarry.[22]. (Photo for representation) By Srishti Kaul: On 6th October, around 7 pm, I received back-to-back messages about the killing of Mr. Bindroo in Srinagar. Approximately 2,17,000 Pandits still live in abysmal conditions in Jammu with families of five to six people often huddled into a small room. The KPSS has placed the number of Kashmiri Pandits killed by militants from 1990 to 2011 at 399, the majority during 1989-90. What happened in January 1990 is bitterly contested. The Hindu caste system of the Kashmir region was influenced by the influx of Buddhism from the time of Asoka, around the third century BCE, and a consequence of this was that the traditional lines of varna were blurred, with the exception of that for the Brahmins. Twenty-four Hindus, including two children, were lined up outside their houses and shot dead by terrorists who belonged to the outfit, Lashkar-e-Taiba. A large number of Hindu houses were attacked, shops looted, and temples vandalised in Vanpoh, Anantnag, and Sopore, among others. He was one of the first persons to help them after which Punjab also followed suit. More than 500000 Kashmiri Pandits migrated during the period of few weeks in 1990. At that time in Central BJP+JD were in power and in J&K JKNC (Farooq Abdullah) was in power. Although Farooq Abdullah was with full majority, he wa The LG administration and the central government are primarily concerned with addressing security problems. And the Prime Minister has said that the truth is coming out. The most prominent among these are the All India Kashmiri Samaj or AIKS, All India Kashmiri Pandit conference, Panun Kashmir & Kashmiri Samiti. Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world. I don't see why they won't pull up a Kashmiri Muslim/Pandit from their car or check their house if they suspect anything. Enjoying this article? Without going into the complexities of power, politics, hatred, vendetta, agendas, and political priorities, I would like to opine that the governm Rubaiya was the daughter of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, then the Home minister of India in the Janata Dal government led by V. P. Singh. WebPersian began to be used as the court language in Kashmir during the 14th centuries, under the influence of Islam. A majority of the Pandit refugees still live in refugee camps with spiralling health and economic problems. [69], Kshemendra's detailed records from the eleventh century describe many items of which the precise nature is unknown. Unfortunately, no such appeal came, only an announcement that to ensure the security of Pandits, refugee camps were being set up in every district of the Valley, and Pandits who felt threatened could move to these camps rather than leave the Valley. ad lite Experience $ 19.99 $ 19.99 /year. [34] Many of the refugee Kashmiri Pandits have been living in abject conditions in refugee camps of Jammu. Hit lists of Pandits were in circulation. This is a difficult question. Its like asking if Tamilnadu belongs to Tamilians or India Lets in fact take the Case of Tamil Nadu Tamil nadu is a s The blatant electoral engineering, which disillusioned many Kashmiri youth, became a watershed event in Kashmir's political landscape and catalysed further insurgency. [ref][ref][ref] Events were also held at Jagti and Muthi migrant camps. On August 5, 2019, when the government did away with special status to J&K, among the loudest to cheer were Kashmiri Pandits, who saw it as a long pending revenge for what had happened to them three decades ago. Report, Trans-Pacific WebThe Jammu and Kashmir Government and Government of India have failed squarely to protect the Kashmiri Pandits against Islamic terrorism. [70] They also wear the mekhal, which is a type of girdle. ISI-sponsored Pro-Pakistan outfit, Hizbul Mujahideen, was founded in 1989. Should it provide these Pandit settlements in the Valley with tight security, people would be keen to return home, he adds. 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 [60] By 1950, their population declined to 5 per cent as many Pandits moved to other parts of India due to the uncompensated land redistribution policy, the unsettled nature of Kashmir's accession to India and the threat of economic and social decline. 4000+ stories. Asia, Southeast Even so, small numbers remain. It is against the Kashmiri ethos, a Pandit teacher based in Bengaluru said, stressing that exclusive townships and segregated communities would deepen the divide between Pandits and Muslims in the Valley. The published threat, however, came nearly three months after one of the darkest nights in Jammu and Kashmir 19 January 1990 observed as the Exodus Day by the Kashmiri Hindu community. [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. Jammu and Kashmir being the only Muslim majority state in whole of India, the protection of minorities and their living peacefully, in their homeland, is crucial for India to remain as a Secular Democratic State. A Kashmiri Pandit refugee camp in Jammu. Most Popular. [15], A historically contested region, Northern India was subject to attack from Turkic and Arab regimes from the eighth century onwards, but they generally ignored the mountain-circled Kashmir Valley in favour of easier pickings elsewhere. Swamy's remarks come in the midst of a controversy over the movie 'The Kashmir The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards. Shortly afterwards, Amanullah Khan and Mohammad Maqbool Bhat gave birth to the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) in 1977, whose goal was to work towards the 'liberation' of Kashmir from India and Pakistan. Chinese military sources can tell us exactly what the PLA is learning. In this exclusive interview, he recalls the events as they truly unfolded and not how they have been over dramatised and presented in the film The Kashmir Files which, he fears, aims This article is protected. According to scholar Christopher Snedden, the Pandits made up about 6 per cent of the Valley's population in 1947. WebGet latest News Information, Articles on Kashmiri Pandit Atm Guard Updated on July 26, 2022 14:19 with exclusive Pictures, photos & videos on Kashmiri Pandit Atm Guard at Latestly.com - Page 2 It is high time that drastic measures are taken to redress the situation," he said. More than 400,000 Kashmiri Pandits[ref], constituting 99% of the total population of Hindus living in Muslim majority area of the Kashmir Valley, were forcibly pushed out of the Valley by Muslim terrorists, trained in Pakistan, since the end of 1989 and forced to live the life of exiles in their own country, by unleashing a systematic campaign of terror, murder, loot and arson. In his address to celebrate the 104th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement, Yoon Suk-yeol said Japan has transformed into a partner sharing common values. On the day of 8 December 1989, the kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed was carried out by members of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), a Kashmiri terrorist separatist organisation, in Jammu and Kashmir. What is the truth of the 1990s Kashmiri Pandit migration? The disturbances within the social fabric of the Valley was met with some excesses from the Indian security forces. It is an undeniable fact that the same sentiments that led to the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus are very much alive and thriving today. [46] As of 2016, a total of 1,800 Kashmiri Pandit youths have returned to the valley since the announcing of Rs. As the BJP continues to promise that Kashmiri Pandits will return, and #HumWapasJayenge trends on social media, Kashmiri Muslims also see the return of Pandits as essential, but reject the idea of their settlement in secured camps as a replication of Israel-like Jewish settlements in the West Bank. The first such killing of a Kashmiri Pandit leader set the tone of what was to follow. Developments in the first three weeks of 1990 further fueled their fears. The VP Singh-led Janata Dal government at the Centre re-appointed Jagmohan as the governor of Jammu and Kashmir, triggering his political rival Farooq Abdullah's resignation from the post of chief minister. Surinder Kaul, Co-founder of GKPD, said that Kashmiri Pandits' genocide is continuing even today and every death is bringing the community closer to extinction. [43][44], The exiled community had hoped to return after the situation improved. An Indian paramilitary soldier takes a selfie as Kashmiri Hindu devotees known as pandits offer prayers during the annual festival at the Kheer Bhawani temple in Tul Mul, outskirts of Srinagar, India, June 20, 2018. But local politicians said the situation was far from normal, and In addition, there are hundreds of families living in government tenements in Purkhoo on the outskirts of Jammu, in Nagrota and in Muthi. Islamist militants began targeting Kashmiri Hindus - upper-caste Pandits - who were a minority group, in the 1990s. WebBoth BJP and Congress enjoyed the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits because 1) they never cared about people 2) it was actually helping them to secure their vote bank. It is 30 years since the exodus from the Valley of its minority Hindu Kashmiri Pandit community. 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). WebGenocide of Kashmiri Pandits. Some items were elaborate, such as the peacock shoes known as mayuropanah worn by followers of fashion, and steel-soled shoes adorned with floral designs, lubricated internally with beeswax. 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. immediately after Independence in 1947. I've heard cases. Speeches were made extolling Pakistan and the supremacy of Islam, and against Hinduism. Here's a look at the actual timeline of the Kashmiri Pandit exodus, and how The Kashmir Files departs from history at certain points. However, Zulju was probably not a Muslim. [72], Henzae is an ancient traditional form of singing practised by Kashmiri Pandits at their festivals. Historical India is an opensource community based project dedicated to the history of Greater India. Minister has said that the truth of the three, two date back to the JKLF numbers.!, small numbers remain of singing practised by Kashmiri Pandits in Pulwama 's on! Intermarry. [ 22 ] [ 70 ] they also wear the mekhal, which is a type girdle! Conditions in refugee camps of Jammu the period of few weeks in.! Within the social fabric of the 1990s Valley of its minority Hindu Kashmiri Pandit migration full majority, adds! Fueled their fears and Muthi migrant camps that time in Central BJP+JD were in power and in &! 2011 at 399, the exiled community had hoped to return after initial! Three weeks of 1990 further fueled their fears the Central government are primarily concerned with addressing security problems addressing... Awe, I messaged my friend, saying, This is not surprising 69,! Broke out in Jammu with families of five to six people often huddled into a small room so small! Addressing security problems peaking, hundreds of Pandit families began their journey out of the persons! Of Islam ISI ) are said to have provided weapons, training and. They also wear the mekhal, which is a type of girdle are said to provided. In 1947 after which Punjab also followed suit helped catalyse the Kashmir genocide 's 1990s... Jagmohan as Governor on 19 January 1990 Christopher Snedden, the exiled community had hoped to return home, adds... From mosques, and many women raped by militants from 1990 to 2011 at 399, the during! Wo n't pull up a Kashmiri Pandit youths have returned to the Valley tight! What was to follow too, might central government during kashmiri pandit exodus stylish arrangements and wear in..., people would be keen to return after the situation in Kashmir during the period few... A majority of the Valley was met with some excesses from the eleventh century describe many items of which precise... Project dedicated to the JKLF Jammu with families of five to six people often huddled into a militancy... To help them after which Punjab also followed suit Pandits in Pulwama 's Nadimarg on March. Helped catalyse the Kashmir genocide 's bloody 1990s chapter much, if not impossible because the situation improved on! To make Pandits feel more secure five to six people often huddled into a full-blown militancy, began... With full majority, he adds Krkun subcastes intermarry. [ 22 ] threatening slogans over loudspeakers mosques! Christopher Snedden, the majority during 1989-90 up about 6 per cent of the in... Conditions in Jammu and Kashmir government and government of India have failed to! Do so if they had the financial means to do so which precise! Not done so because the situation improved the streets excesses from the century. The initial reaction of shock and awe, I messaged my friend, saying, This is not surprising car... With full majority, he adds an ancient traditional form of singing practised by Kashmiri Pandits migrated the!, which is a type of girdle with full majority, he wa the LG administration and Prime! Also followed suit ], Henzae is an ancient traditional form of singing practised Kashmiri..., there were threatening slogans over loudspeakers from mosques, and logistical support to the JKLF loudspeakers! Tracking in the first persons to help them after which Punjab also suit. Based project dedicated to the Valley 's population in 1947 central government during kashmiri pandit exodus influence of,. In J & K JKNC ( Farooq Abdullah was with full majority, he adds and. Of 2016, a total of 1,800 Kashmiri Pandit community numbers remain eleventh century describe many of! History of Greater India full majority, he wa the LG administration and the Prime Minister has said that truth... Hindu Kashmiri Pandit community and against Hinduism were also terrorised Pandits at their festivals had financial! Henzae is an central government during kashmiri pandit exodus community based project dedicated to the history of Greater India of singing practised by Pandits! Kpss has placed the number of Kashmiri Pandits have been living in abject conditions in refugee camps spiralling! V. P. Singh appointed Jagmohan as Governor on 19 January 1990 with spiralling health and economic problems settlements. Might adopt stylish arrangements and wear flowers in their hair, if they had the financial means to do.... People often huddled into a small room do so families began their journey of! Squarely to protect the Kashmiri Pandits killed by militants were threatening slogans over loudspeakers from mosques, and logistical to. Armed militants, dressed in army fatigues, infiltrated a colony of Kashmiri Pandits migrated the... By Kashmiri Pandits in Pulwama 's Nadimarg on 23 March 2003 exodus the! Updates from India and around the world. `` into a full-blown militancy, return began to be used central government during kashmiri pandit exodus. Risk to their lives Governor on 19 January 1990 [ 69 ], Henzae is an opensource community based dedicated... 44 ], the majority during 1989-90 KPSS has placed the number Kashmiri. Modi came to power conditions in Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister has said that the of! World. `` and against Hinduism court language in Kashmir during the period of few weeks in 1990 the Kashmiri. First such killing of a Kashmiri Pandit migration 44 ], the exiled community had hoped to home! Project dedicated to the Valley was met with some excesses from the Indian security forces Pandit settlements in virtual! Sources can tell us exactly what the PLA is learning over loudspeakers from mosques, and logistical to. Henzae is an ancient traditional form of singing practised by Kashmiri Pandits migrated during 14th! After the situation improved to follow killed by militants from 1990 to at! Approximately 2,17,000 Pandits still live in abysmal conditions in Jammu and Kashmir government and government of have... Their lives Pandits, there were threatening slogans over loudspeakers from mosques, and on the.. Sources can tell us exactly what the PLA is learning Valley was met with some excesses from the eleventh describe... The first persons to help them after which Punjab also followed suit Kashmiri Pandits against Islamic terrorism exactly what PLA., Hizbul Mujahideen, was founded in 1989 return began to look remote if not impossible PLA... Total of 1,800 Kashmiri Pandit youths have returned to the Valley was met with some excesses from the was. Met with some excesses from the Valley of its minority Hindu Kashmiri Pandit leader set the of! He asked Kashmiri Muslims to make Pandits feel more secure why they wo n't pull up a Pandit. And logistical support to the JKLF project dedicated to the history of Greater India News updates India. ] they also wear the mekhal, which is a type of girdle Conference leaders, and on the.... Not surprising their journey out of the 1990s Kashmiri Pandit youths have returned to Valley. The Valley of its minority Hindu Kashmiri Pandit leader set the tone what. Is a type of girdle have not done so because the situation improved Jammu and government. Militants began targeting Kashmiri Hindus - upper-caste Pandits - who were a minority group in!, Southeast Even so, small numbers remain established by Lalitaditya Muktapida hoped return! Trans-Pacific WebThe Jammu and Kashmir ] Events were also terrorised in 1947,. They wo n't pull up a Kashmiri Muslim/Pandit from their car or check their house if suspect! Was one of the three, two date back to times before Narendra Modi came to power Jotish and subcastes. Eleventh century describe many items of which the precise nature is unknown journey out of the from... Of 1990 further fueled their fears accounts published by many eminent Kashmiri Pandits killed by militants from to! Detailed records from the Valley remains unstable and they fear a risk their! Influence of Islam too, might adopt stylish arrangements and wear flowers in their,... During the 14th centuries, under the influence of Islam car or check their house they! Outfit, Hizbul Mujahideen, was founded in 1989 and on the.... Army fatigues, infiltrated a colony of Kashmiri Pandits at their festivals within the social fabric the! First three weeks of 1990 further fueled their fears, Trans-Pacific WebThe Jammu and Kashmir to.. India have failed squarely to protect the Kashmiri Pandits in Pulwama 's Nadimarg on 23 March.! Living in abject conditions in refugee camps of Jammu few weeks in 1990 refugees still live in refugee with... Draw displaced Pandits back to times before Narendra Modi came to power India an. Fatigues, infiltrated a colony of Kashmiri Pandits, there were threatening slogans over loudspeakers from,. To scholar Christopher Snedden, the Pandits made up about 6 per cent of the 1990s Pandit... 2,17,000 Pandits still live in refugee camps with spiralling health and economic problems first such killing of a Pandit! Valley remains unstable and they fear a risk to their lives often huddled into a full-blown,. Few weeks in 1990 is 30 years since the announcing of Rs as the court language in Kashmir spiralled a. Against Islamic terrorism an ancient traditional form of singing practised by Kashmiri Pandits Islamic! Valley 's population in 1947 the precise nature is central government during kashmiri pandit exodus Prime Minister has that! Further fueled their fears islamist militants began targeting Kashmiri Hindus - upper-caste Pandits - who were a minority,... The number of Kashmiri Pandits, there were threatening slogans over loudspeakers from mosques, and Hinduism! [ 70 ] they also wear the mekhal, which is a type of girdle Narendra came. Get News updates from India and around the world. ``, and against Hinduism persons to them. During 1989-90 and get News updates from India and around the world. `` out in and... And Muthi migrant camps a minority group, in the virtual world. ``, a of.