29 years of KP exodus

By Kundan Kashmiri. Dated: 1/19/2018 11:07:01 PM

It is exactly 28 years ago, on January 19, 2018, that the Kashmiri Pandit exodus from the Valley took place. The minority Hindus of Kashmir, Kashmiri Pandits, fled the valley leaving behind their homes and hearths from Kashyap Bhoomi to save themselves from persecution at the behest of religious extremists and militants.
Ever since, Kashmiri Pandits commemorate January 19 as Kashmiri Pandit Holocaust/Exodus Day with the hope to go back to their home valley one day as per their wishes and aspirations; but unfortunately the Government of India and state government have failed to rehabilitate Kashmiri Pandits or take substantial measures till date for their one place settlement in the valley.
When Muslim youth picked up the gun in the Valley in 1989-1990, many Pandits were killed by them. The minority Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave the valley. With Kashmiri Pandit community members constantly receiving threats, their residences being attacked and 'death warning' posters or advertisements in newspapers telling Pandits to leave the Valley, the fear psychosis and grief of the community was immense.
Article 2 of the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide defines genocide as any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: (1)Killing members of the group or the community (2) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group or the community (3) Deliberately inflicting on the group or community conditions of life, calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in parts and others..
The National Human Rights Commission, in 1999, observed that the acts akin to genocide have occurred with respect to Kashmiri Pandits. The United Nations former Secretary General Kofi Annan at the 60th Session of the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva in 2004 said, "Wherever civilians are deliberately targeted because they belong to a particular community, we are in the presence of potential, if not actual, genocide."
The KP community is unable to shake this bitter memory of 1990. What happened in 1990s in Kashmir valley was totally inhuman Prominent among those killed were Pandit Tika Lal Taploo, Justice Neel Kanth Ganjoo, Sarwanand Koul 'Premi' and his son, advocate Prem Nath Bhat, Lassa Koul, Director Doordarshan Kendra - Srinagar, Dr Raj Nath, Moti Lal Bhan, Satish Tickoo, Prof. Ganjoo, Late T.K Razdan, Sarla Bhat, Prana Ganjoo and others.
Though the official figure of Kashmiri Pandit killings is 219, but the numbers are estimated to be more. A list of about four hundred killed has been completed and was submitted to DGP J&K, Human Rights commission, New Delhi, Home Minister, Governor J&K, BJP Gen Secretary, MPs and MLAs by KPC for further action, but unfortunately nothing concrete or result oriented has been done so for.
It is also unfortunate that nothing has changed for the exiled Kashmiri Pandits in these 28 years. The responsible elements who have made Kashmiri Pandits homeless have not been prosecuted so far. None of the killers were punished for their barbaric acts. There has not been a single judicial inquiry about the exodus and killings of Kashmiri Pandits.
The Government of India has failed Kashmiri Pandits, who are still living as refugees in their own country. We again appeal to the state and central government to rehabilitate and resettle Kashmiris in the Valley.
* (The author is President KPC)

 

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