My Reminiscences of Broked Promises
It was the peak winter month of January 1987 with a record snowfall in Kashmir. 1986 had been very harsh to a lot of Kashmiri pandit families, due to hidden and cowardly acts of burning their households,temples and properties mostly in Southern districts Anantnag etc during the rule of gull
Shah, brother-in-law of Farooq Abdullah.
Immediately, after opening of locks in ayodhya in February 1986; Some people
say these riots were engineered by Mufti Mohammad sayeed to get a hold on the chair of chief minister.
I was living with my entire family in my village Mazhom ,18 kilometres west of Srinagar. It is also a railway station now.
There were a total of 2 Kashmiri pandit families divided into 8 households, comprising of a total headcount of 34, from the oldest to the infant .Till then, living peacefully co-existed with about 1500 households of Kashmiri Muslim Brethren.
This peace and Harmony was Broken in an unprecedented engineered act of fire, when 2 houses belonging to Kashmiri Pandits were gutted by miscreants in the dead of night. Frightened, we ran helter-skelter consoling each other. villagers turned on the scene, and helped to douse and control the fire of the thatched roofs with all wood frames. Fire fighting staff came 3 hours later from pattan and fire was finally doused- but not the flames of fear and anxiety that we all suffered.
Next day onwards, a temporary police post was erected in our vicinity making us a target of dislike and suspicion amongst a few villagers, due to continued presence of unarmed local police. Some revenue personal and a deputy minister turned up within a fortnight asking one of our household heads to get new clothes prepared for their youth.
The Revenue personal was also conveyed that they were educated yet unemployed. They gave their assurance of help.
The assurance given at that point proved to be a just a lip service. No compensation or relief etc was given to us for the reasons best known to the authorities.
Rajiv Gandhi, had taken charge as prime minister in 1985 after the assassination of his mother Indira Gandhi in 1984, after which riots against Sikh community countrywide took place. Gull Shah government was dismissed in march 1986 and governors rule was imposed. Instead of promoting Mufti Syed as CM of the state, he was made rajya Sabha member and Union tourism minister. It is widely believed that this step was taken to make way for Rajiv Gandhi’s longtime friend Farooq Abdullah.
Interestingly, Farooq Abdullah’s Govt had been toppled by engineering defections of NC MLA’s previously. Gul Shah-his brother in law, had been installed as CM.It is believed that Mufti Syed orchestrated this in order to fulfill his underlying ambition of becoming the state CM.
An accord between Rajiv and Farooq was signed in Nov 1986 to the displeasure of senior Congress leaders that included Mufti syed as welk. Elections were declared to be held in 1987.
Before elections, Rajiv Gandhi visited Kashmir amidst a thick snowfall. A visit to gulmarg along with his friend and host,was on the itinerary. It was snowing heavily during that night and we noticed snow dozers clearing the road early in the morning , a hundred metres from my house. The police presence along the road showed up and most folks of the village gathered along the road to Gulmarg-that passed through our village. In addition to our main house, a hundred metres from this road, we had another small house cum grain store just on the roadside.
All our community folks queued alongside the edges of the Road to have a glimpse of the motorcade. At that time, My elder son was one and half years old and was distinguishable amongst the crowd due to his fair face and Apple red cheeks from a distance.
He was held by my younger sister . The pilot car appeared and the PM’s Jeep followed at a gap of about 200 meters. Rajiv Gandhi was at driver’s seat himself and Farooq Abdullah by his side. The Wives of both leaders Sonia and Molly were settled in the middle of the SUV. Going at a slow speed due to snowy road and presence of people along its edges .
No sooner did the PM’s Jeep reached near my house, an old KP lady- shobhavati- in a traditional KP attire almost jumped in front of the PM’s vehicle , to the shock of everybody present there!
Rajiv Gandhi applied brakes to a halt. The security personnel immediately appeared and threw a ring around his vehicle. He inquired about the lady and her problems. she tried to explain in Kashmiri. Being very near to this scene, Rajiv Gandhi waved at me asking to tell him what shobhavati was saying ,which I precisely told him .
I told him that her house has been damaged by the fire and her 32 year old son is still unemployed , and that no relief was provided to her as a fire victim.
” wajahat ko bulao” , ordered Rajiv Gandhi.
A long motorcade of bureaucrats and politicians and other personnel was lined up behind his SUV and some of their occupants had got down ,struggling among villagers gathered there, to reach near PM’s vehicle.
Farooq Abdullah as usual turned vociferous at the peak of his volume,hurling choicest indecent abuses in the name of revenue authorities and divisional commissioner. “Yiman chhuv na kenh dyutmut”? ( have you not given them anything ?You have left this shabbiness at the roadside) Farooq’s wife was along with Sonia Gandhi in the rear seat.
Somehow, Sonia Gandhi caught a glimpse of my son with apple red cheeks and waved at my sister-who was holding him- to come near. Taking that one and half year old kid in her lap, she loved him and then handed over to Rajiv Gandhi who too fondled him and asked ” kiska bachha hai”? I responded and took the child from him. In the meantime some secretary had reached near PM with a stenos pad in his hands.
“write down a house and a job for her son” PM of India ordered amongst the hundreds present there. Many more people tried to ask favours among the crowd. To all those Farooq Abdullah asked to keep their applications ready. On their return journey these would be collected and acted upon. I don’t know what fate fell on all the other applications and demands,but one thing I know for sure; Prime minister of India Rajiv Gandhi’s orders on spot, in presence of a large crowd of machinery and media were not carried out, making our small community of 34 people in that village a topic of mockery and fun.
I wonder if he and his office ever used to bother to take note of follow up action on promises made while touring , to innocent people, who chose them to high office. The only thing I remember is many villagers congratulated me because king and queen of the country had put their hands on my son’s head, so a sign of auspiciousness.
Soon however ,my son ,his whole family and his whole community were forcibly exiled from their ancestral homeland that left me wondering whether it brought auspiciousness or misfortunes…..
By-Sh. Virendra Bhat ji
Ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri pandits(newspaper clippings)
(From the Twitter handle of Rahul Pandita and Dr.Rajesh Bhat)
Small List of Kashmiri Pandits killed by Militants
This is the small list of kps murdered by muslim terrorists.
Sr. Name of the Victim Date of Killing
1 PRABHAVATI 14.03.1989
2 DINA NATH RAINA 15.08.1989
3 TIKA LAL TIPLOO 14.09.1989
4 SMT. SHEELA TICKOO 01.11.1989
5 NEEL KANT GANJOO 01.11.1989
6 PREM NATH BHAT 27.12.1989
7 M.L.BHAN 15.01.1990
8 P.K.KOTRU 19.01.1990
9 SATISH KR. TICKOO 22.01.1990
10 TEJ KRISHEN RAZDAN 12.02.1990
11 LASSA KOUL 13.02.1990
12 ANIL BHAN 16.02.1990
13 ASHOK QAZI 23.02.1990
14 NAVEEN SAPROO 27.02.1990
15 P.N. HANDOO 01.03.1990
16 JAGAR NATH 03.03.1990
17 NIRMALA RAINA 06.03.1990
18 KASHI NATH 06.03.1990
19 RATTAN LAL 10.03.1990
20 T.K.RAZDAN 15.03.1990
21 A.K.RAINA 19.03.1990
22 B.K.GANJOO 19.03.1990
23 GULSHAN LAL RAINA 19.03.1990
24 AVTAR KRISHAN RAINA 20.03.1990
25 GULSHAN LAL LAMBA 21.03.1990
26 P.L.FOTEADAR 22.03.1990
27 SOOM NATH TICKOO 23.03.1990
28 B.L.MISIRI 23.03.1990
29 TRILOKI NATH AMBARDAR 23.03.1990
30 BANSI LAL 24.03.1990
31 A.K.BAZAZ 26.03.1990
32 PREM NATH KOUL 05.04.1990
33 PREM NATH TICKOO 05.04.1990
34 K.K.KOUL 05.04.1990
35 RADHA KRISHAN 05.04.1990
36 RADHA KRISHAN KOUL 06.04.1990
37 ASHOK KUMAR 06.04.1990
38 H.L.KHERA 06.04.1990
39 RAMEESH PEER 06.04.1990
40 VINOD KUMAR 06.05.1990
41 KARI LAL 09.04.1990
42 MAKHAN LAL WANGANOO 10.04.1990
43 SARLA BHAT 19.04.1990
44 MAKHAN LAL 21.04.1990
45 SUSHEEL KR. KOTRU 23.04.1990
46 SUSHIL KR KOTRU 23.04.1990
47 NIRANJAN NATH 24.04.1990
48 BANSI LAL SAPRU 24.04.1990
49 NARENDER NATH 24.04.1990
50 NARENDER NATH 24.04.1990
51 RAVINDER KR. PANDIT 25.04.1990
52 KASHI RAM 25.04.1990
53 BUSHAN LAL 26.04.1990
54 DR.RAJ NATH 26.04.1990
55 BRIJ NATH 26.04.1990
56 RAJ NATH RAINA 26.04.1990
57 BANSI LAL 27/28.04.1990
58 BHARAT BHUSHAN 27/28.04.1990
59 PREDHIMAN KRISHAN BHAT 28.04.1990
60 GUSHI LAL 29.04.1990
61 M.L.PANDITA 29.04.1990
62 DILEEP KUMAR 30.04.1990
63 HEERA LAL KHAR 30.04.1990
64 DAWARIKA NATH 01.05.1990
65 SARWANANAD KOUL PREMI 01.05.1990
66 VIRENDER KUMAR 01.05.1990
67 CHUNI LAL SHALLA 01.05.1990
68 MAKHAN LAL THAPLOO 02.05.1990
69 AVTAR KRISHAN 02.05.1990
70 CHUNI LAL SHALLA 02.05.1990
71 PROF.K.L.GANJU 02/03.05.1990
72 SMT. PRANA GANJOO 02/03.05.1990
73 VINOD KR. CHATTA 03.05.1990
74 VINOD KUMAR 03.05.1990
75 DAYA KRISHN 03.05.1990
76 SURIEND CHAND 04.05.1990
77 MOHAN LAL BHAT 04.05.1990
78 RAMESH KR. RAINA 05.05.1990
79 SURINDER DHAR 05.05.1990
80 VINOD KUMAR 06.05.1990
81 KUNDAN LAL GANJOO 07.05.1990
82 DOLLY 07.05.1990
83 RAMESH KR RAINA 07.05.1990
84 BIHARI LAL LABAROO 09.05.1990
85 RATTAN LAL 10.05.1990
86 BABLI RAINA 10.05.1990
87 SURINDER KUMAR 10.05.1990
88 MOTI LAL BHAT 10.05.1990
89 BABLI RAINA 10.05.1990
90 AMAR NATH BAGATI 11.05.1990
91 OMKAR NATH 11.05.1990
92 POSHKAR NATH 11.05.1990
93 MOHAN LAL 13.05.1990
94 INDERJEET 13.05.1990
95 VEER JI @VAID JI BHAT 13.05.1990
96 ASHOK KUMAR 13.05.1990
97 BUSHAN LAL 13.05.1990
98 DAYA KRISHEN DULLO 13.05.1990
99 MAM MOHAN SHARMA 15.05.1990
100 SAROOP NATH 15.05.1990
101 A.K.WAZIR 15.05.1990
102 BUSHAN LAL KOUL 16.05.1990
103 BUSHAN LAL 17.05.1990
104 SHAM LAL SHARMA 17.05.1990
105 CHUNI LAL 17.05.1990
106 SURESH KR. KISSU 17.05.1990
107 MANMOHAN BACHLOO 18.05.1990
108 JIYA LAL KAW 18.05.1990
109 MINOR 18.05.1990
110 DILEEP KUMAR 19.05.1990
111 MOTI LAL RAINA 20.05.1990
112 DILEEP JI 21.05.1990
113 PRATHIVI NATH HAKIM 21.05.1990
114 CHAMAN LAL PANDIT 22.05.1990
115 PREM NATH BHAT 23.05.1990
116 SHAMBU NATH 24.05.1990
117 BANSI LAL SHARMA 24.05.1990
118 PREM NATH BHAT 25.05.1990
119 SHANKER DASS 26.05.1990
120 CHAMAN LAL TICKOO 28.05.1990
121 SEEMA ALIAS BABLI 28.05.1990
122 RAMESH KR RAINA 28.05.1990
123 MAHARAJ KRISHEN 30.05.1990
124 JAWAHIR LAL WANCHOO 30.05.1990
125 KRISHAN LAL WAGROO 31.05.1990
126 CHAMAN LAL TICKOO 31.05.1990
127 AVTAR KRISHEN 31.05.1990
128 JAGAR NATH 31.05.1990
129 RAMESH KUMAR 01.06.1990
130 KANA YA LAL BHAT 01.06.1990
131 BADRI NATH 02.06.1990
132 DAMODHAR RAINA 02.06.1990
133 BUSHAN LAL KOUL 02.06.1990
134 DAMODAR SWAROOP RAINA 02.06.1990
135 SATISH LAL KALLA 03.06.1990
136 SHIBAN KRISHEN KULLA 03.06.1990
137 AFTAB RAM 04.06.1990
138 GOKAL NATH 04.06.1990
139 RADHA KRISHAN PATWARI 06.06.1990
140 JAWAHIR LAL BHAT 06.06.1990
141 RAMESH KR. RAINA 07.06.1990
142 RAJ KR. JAILKHANI 07.06.1990
143 SHAM LAL 07.06.1990
144 RADHA KRISHAN 07.06.1990
145 SMT.GIRJA TICKOO 11.06.1990
146 INDER KUMAR 11.06.1990
147 KANAYA LAL 11.06.1990
148 SOOM NATH 11.06.1990
149 GIRJA KUMARI TICKOO 11.06.1990
150 ASHOK KR. PANDITA 12.06.1990
151 KANYA LAL 12.06.1990
152 TRILOKI NATH 12.06.1990
153 CHUNI LAL 13.06.1990
154 DAYARAM KOUL 13.06.1990
155 RUGH NATH 14.06.1990
156 RUGH NATH 14.06.1990
157 A.K.SAFAYA 15.06.1990
158 DAYARAM KOUL 15.06.1990
159 RAMCHAND 15.06.1990
160 SAROOP NATH 16.06.1990
161 GOPI CHAND 17.06.1990
162 BADRI NATH KOUL 18.06.1990
163 JAWAHIR LAL GANJOO 18.06.1990
164 SMT. PARANA GANJOO 18.06.1990
165 SMT.DURGA KOUL 18.06.1990
TEJ KRISHAN PANDIT 19.06.1990
166 RAJINDER KR. TICKOO 20.06.1990
167 SANJAY THUSOO 21.06.1990
168 SMT GIGARI 22.06.1990
169 BAL KRISHEN TATOO 22.06.1990
170 BALJEE 22.06.1990
171 MAKHAN LAL RAINA 22.06.1990
172 SMT. ROHINI 22.06.1991
173 MAKHAN LAL RAINA 22.06.1990
174 M.L.BHAT 22/23.06.1990
175 ASHOK KUMAR 23.06.1990
176 PRATHAVI NATH TICKOO 23.06.1990
177 ASHWANI KUMAR 23.06.1990
178 ASHOK KR. KOTHA 24.06.1990
179 SOOM NATH 24.06.1990
180 CHAMAN LAL TICKOO 24.06.1990
181 SOOM NATH KOUL 24.06.1990
182 BADRI NATH WATTAL 25.06.1990
183 SATISH KR RAINA 25.06.1990
184 BRIJ LAL RAINA 26.06.1990
185 SATISH KUMAR 26.06.1990
186 GOPAL NATH 26.06.1990
187 RAMESH RAZDAN 26.06.1990
188 T.N.RAINA 26.06.1990
189 YOGESH KUMAR 26.06.1990
190 GOPI NATH RAINA 26.06.1990
191 BRIJ LAL RAINA 26.06.1990
192 RAMESH RAZDAN 26.06.1990
193 BRIJ LAL RAINA 26.06.1990
194 SMT. BABLI 28.06.1990
195 SMT.ROOPAWATI 28.06.1990
196 VIVAK LABAROO @SHABAJEE 29.06.1990
197 OMKAR NATH MATTOO 30.06.1990
198 PROF. NEEL KANT. RAINA 30.06.1990
199 RAJINDER 30.06.1990
200 OMKAR NATH MATTOO 30.06.1990
201 TRILKOI NATH 01.07.1990
202 N.G.SADHU 01.07.1990
203 DINA NATH 01.07.1990
204 RAJ NATH DHAR 01.07.1990
205 SMT. GIRJA DHAR 01.07.1990
206 SMT. TEJA DHAR 01.07.1990
207 PREDHIMAN KRISHAN 02.07.1990
208 SMT. ARANDATTI 02.07.1990
209 MAKHAN LAL 03.07.1990
210 MOHAN LAL 03.07.1990
211 SATISH KUMAR 06.07.1990
212 JAWAHIR LAL BHAT 06.07.1990
213 GOPI NATH RAINA 07.07.1990
214 DINA NATH MUJOO 07.07.1990
215 GOPI NATH RAINA 07.07.1990
216 SHIBAN KOUL 08.07.1990
217 GOURI SHANKER 09.07.1990
218 AVTAR KRISHAN 09.07.1990
219 INDER KRISHAN 10.07.1990
220 SHAMBU NATH 11.07.1990
221 INDER KUMAR 11.07.1990
222 NANAJI 11.07.1990
223 SHIBAN LAL KOUL 11.07.1990
224 JIWAN LAL 15.07.1990
225 BISHAMBAR NATH KOUL 15/16.07.1990
226 RADHA KRISHAN KOUL 15/16.07.1990
227 VAID PRAKESH KOUL 16.07.1990
228 BRIJ NATH KOUL 16.07.1990
229 ANANAD NARAYAN 17.07.1990
230 CHAND RAM KHER 17.07.1990
231 DR. SONI 18.07.1990
232 BRIJ NATH KOUL 19.07.1990
233 JANKI NATH 20.07.1990
234 NATH JI 26.07.1990
235 VAID LAL 26.07.1990
236 JANKI NATH 26.07.1990
237 GOURI SHANKER 29.07.1990
238 ADARSH JEE 29.07.1990
239 JAI KRISHAN 02.08.1990
240 RAM NATH BHAT 06.08.1990
241 R.K.HANDOO 09.08.1990
242 SAROOP NARAYAN 10.08.1990
243 MANOJ KUMAR 10.08.1990
244 PRATHAVI NATH BALI 10.08.1990
245 VASUDEV PANDIT 11.08.1990
246 D.N.CHOEDHARY 11.08.1990
247 RASHANLAL CHOWDHARY 11.08.1990
248 VASUDEV PANDITA 11.08.1990
249 AUTAR KRISHEN PANDITA 12.08.1990
250 DARSHAN KOUL 15.08.1990
251 MASHER NATH 16.08.1990
252 RATTAN LAL RAINA 18.08.1990
253 SHANKER NATH TIKU 21.08.1990
254 BANSI LAL RAINA 28.08.1990
255 OMKAR NATH KOUL 29.08.1990
256 SHADI LAL BHAT 04.09.1990
257 PRATHVI NATH 05/06.09.1990
258 MAKHAN LAL 08.09.1990
259 HIDAY NATH 09.09.1990
260 GOURI SHANKER 10.09.1990
261 SMT.TRIKAJI 10.09.1990
262 TRILOKI NATH 11.09.1990
263 RAMESH KUMAR 12.09.1990
264 AVTAR KRISHEN 12/13.09.1990
265 DAWARIKA NATH 13.09.1990
266 AVTAR KRISHAN RAINA 14.09.1990
267 RATTAN LAL PANDITA 17.09.1990
268 PAIRAY LAL RAINA 23.09.1990
269 DURGA PRASAD 05.10.1990
270 D.P.KHAZANCHI 06.10.1990
271 JAGAR NATH 07.10.1990
272 ZIND LAL 07.10.1990
273 JAGAR NATH PANDITA 07.10.1990
274 POSHKAR NATH RAZDAN 12.10.1990
275 SMT. USHA JI 14.10.1990
276 AUSHA KOUL 14.10.1990
277 DR.SHIBAN JI KHIRDI 14.10.1990
278 RAJINDER KOUL 14.10.1990
279 SATUSH KOUL 14.10.1990
280 SMT. NEETA JI 14.10.1990
281 SMT.NANCY KOUL 14.10.1990
282 RADHA KRISHEN BHAT 15.10.1990
283 MAKHAN LAL BHAT 17.10.1990
284 PREM NATH BHAT 17.10.1990
285 POSHKER NATH 18.10.1990
286 SMT. PINKI KOUL 09.11.1990
287 MOHAN LAL KOUL 19.11.1990
288 OMKAR NATN WALI 02.01.1991
289 BALDEV RAJ DUTTA 19.01.1991
290 MADAN MOHAN 11.06.1991
291 KASHI NATH KOUL 13.06.1991
292 NANAJEE 13.06.1991
293 SMT. ROHINI 22.06.1991
294 MOHAN LAL MATTOO 01.07.1991
295 SMT. VIJAY BHAT 31.07.1991
296 SURINDER KUMAR 26.08.1991
297 MOHAN LAL 08.10.1991
298 RAMESH KUMAR 09.10.1991
299 POSHKAR NATH 12.10.1991
300 MEHESHER NATH 15.10.1991
301 SHAM LAL PANDITH 15.10.1991
302 KANHAYA LAL PESHIN 18.10.1991
303 KANAYA LAL 19.10.1991
304 JANKI NATH KOUL 14.12.1991
305 ARCHANA BRAROO 30.03.1992
306 SMT. BIMALA BRAROO 30.03.1992
307 SOHAN LAL BRAROO 30.03.1992
308 RATTAN LAL HALI 20.05.1992
309 DURA NATH RAFIZ 03.06.1992
310 CHAMAN LAL KOUL 11.10.1992
311 SOOM NATH RAINA 11.10.1992
312 H.N.WANCHOO 05.12.1992
313 SMT.ASHA PANDIT 29.12.1992
314 TEJ KRISHEN 12.02.1993
315 PREM NATH BHAT 06.06.1993
316 JAGAR NATH 06.07.1993
317 NEEL KANT LALA 25.07.1993
318 KANYA LAL DUDHA 14.08.1993
319 AVTAR KRISHEN 24.10.1993
320 PRADEEP KUMAR BHAT 28.01.1994
321 SANJAY KUMAR @CHAKO 10.05.1994
322 PIYAR LAL RAINA 13.07.1994
323 TEJ KRISHEN BHAT 03.12.1994
324 SONA RAM 25.07.1995
325 CHUNI LAL BHAT 12.05.1996
326 RAJ NATH 05.06.1996
327 AVTAR KRISHAN 21/22.03.1997
328 BUSHAN LAL BHAT 21/22.03.1997
329 DEELEEP BHAT 21/22.03.1997
330 PAIRAY LAL PANDIT 21/22.03.1997
331 SANJAY BHAT 21/22.03.1997
332 TRILOKI NATH 21/22.03.1997
333 VIJAY BHAT 21/22.03.1997
334 AKSHAY KUMAR 25.01.1998
335 BADRI NATH 25.01.1998
336 JYOTI 25.01.1998
337 KASHI NATH 25.01.1998
338 MEENAKSHI 25.01.1998
339 MOTI LAL BHAT 25.01.1998
340 RAKESH KUMAR 25.01.1998
341 SANJAY KR. BHAT 25.01.1998
342 SARIKA 25.01.1998
343 SARLA KUMARI 25.01.1998
344 SEEMA KUMARI 25.01.1998
345 SMT. CHOTI 25.01.1998
346 SMT. DULARI 25.01.1998
347 SMT. NEERU JI 25.01.1998
348 SUDARSHAN 25.01.1998
349 TRILOKI NATH 25.01.1998
350 VIJAY KUMAR 25.01.1998
351 VIKAS KUMAR 25.01.1998
352 VINOD KUMAR 25.01.1998
353 ASHOK KUMAR 04.02.2000
354 UNSHOO 04.02.2000
355 VEER JI 04.02.2000
356 BRIJ NATH BHAT 04.03.2000
357 SMT LAKHSHMI DEVI 21.12.2001
358 SMT. SONI 21.12.2001
359 AMIT KHER 24.03.2003
360 AVTAR KRISHAN 24.03.2003
361 BANSI LAL 24.03.2003
362 BANSI LAL 24.03.2003
363 JIGA KUMARI 24.03.2003
364 LASA KOUL 24.03.2003
365 LOK NATH 24.03.2003
366 MOHAN LAL 24.03.2003
367 MUNA 24.03.2003
368 PRETAM KRISHEN 24.03.2003
369 PRETAM KUMARI 24.03.2003
370 PRINCY KUMARI 24.03.2003
371 RADHA KRISHEN BHAT 24.03.2003
372 RAJANI 24.03.2003
373 RAJINI KUMARI 24.03.2003
374 RADHA KRISHEN BHAT 24.03.2003
375 RAJANI 24.03.2003
376 RAJINI KUMARI 24.03.2003
377 RAKESH KUMAR 24.03.2003
378 SMT SUMAN JI 24.03.2003
379 SMT. SOOMAVATI 24.03.2003
380 SMT.ASHA 24.03.2003
381 SURAJ 24.03.2003
382 TRILOKI NATH 24.03.2003
383 TEJ KRISHAN 03.12.2004.
384 O. N. MOTTA 29.07.1990
385 USHA KUMARI KOUL 14.10.1990
386 RATINDER KOUL 14.10.1990
387 Radha Krishen Koul 24.08.1990
and MANY MORE..they we killed in their home in offices on road where ever they wete found.And world was silentThis is the small list of kps murdered by muslim terrorists.
Sr. Name of the Victim Date of Killing
1 PRABHAVATI 14.03.1989
2 DINA NATH RAINA 15.08.1989
3 TIKA LAL TIPLOO 14.09.1989
4 SMT. SHEELA TICKOO 01.11.1989
5 NEEL KANT GANJOO 01.11.1989
6 PREM NATH BHAT 27.12.1989
7 M.L.BHAN 15.01.1990
8 P.K.KOTRU 19.01.1990
9 SATISH KR. TICKOO 22.01.1990
10 TEJ KRISHEN RAZDAN 12.02.1990
11 LASSA KOUL 13.02.1990
12 ANIL BHAN 16.02.1990
13 ASHOK QAZI 23.02.1990
14 NAVEEN SAPROO 27.02.1990
15 P.N. HANDOO 01.03.1990
16 JAGAR NATH 03.03.1990
17 NIRMALA RAINA 06.03.1990
18 KASHI NATH 06.03.1990
19 RATTAN LAL 10.03.1990
20 T.K.RAZDAN 15.03.1990
21 A.K.RAINA 19.03.1990
22 B.K.GANJOO 19.03.1990
23 GULSHAN LAL RAINA 19.03.1990
24 AVTAR KRISHAN RAINA 20.03.1990
25 GULSHAN LAL LAMBA 21.03.1990
26 P.L.FOTEADAR 22.03.1990
27 SOOM NATH TICKOO 23.03.1990
28 B.L.MISIRI 23.03.1990
29 TRILOKI NATH AMBARDAR 23.03.1990
30 BANSI LAL 24.03.1990
31 A.K.BAZAZ 26.03.1990
32 PREM NATH KOUL 05.04.1990
33 PREM NATH TICKOO 05.04.1990
34 K.K.KOUL 05.04.1990
35 RADHA KRISHAN 05.04.1990
36 RADHA KRISHAN KOUL 06.04.1990
37 ASHOK KUMAR 06.04.1990
38 H.L.KHERA 06.04.1990
39 RAMEESH PEER 06.04.1990
40 VINOD KUMAR 06.05.1990
41 KARI LAL 09.04.1990
42 MAKHAN LAL WANGANOO 10.04.1990
43 SARLA BHAT 19.04.1990
44 MAKHAN LAL 21.04.1990
45 SUSHEEL KR. KOTRU 23.04.1990
46 SUSHIL KR KOTRU 23.04.1990
47 NIRANJAN NATH 24.04.1990
48 BANSI LAL SAPRU 24.04.1990
49 NARENDER NATH 24.04.1990
50 NARENDER NATH 24.04.1990
51 RAVINDER KR. PANDIT 25.04.1990
52 KASHI RAM 25.04.1990
53 BUSHAN LAL 26.04.1990
54 DR.RAJ NATH 26.04.1990
55 BRIJ NATH 26.04.1990
56 RAJ NATH RAINA 26.04.1990
57 BANSI LAL 27/28.04.1990
58 BHARAT BHUSHAN 27/28.04.1990
59 PREDHIMAN KRISHAN BHAT 28.04.1990
60 GUSHI LAL 29.04.1990
61 M.L.PANDITA 29.04.1990
62 DILEEP KUMAR 30.04.1990
63 HEERA LAL KHAR 30.04.1990
64 DAWARIKA NATH 01.05.1990
65 SARWANANAD KOUL PREMI 01.05.1990
66 VIRENDER KUMAR 01.05.1990
67 CHUNI LAL SHALLA 01.05.1990
68 MAKHAN LAL THAPLOO 02.05.1990
69 AVTAR KRISHAN 02.05.1990
70 CHUNI LAL SHALLA 02.05.1990
71 PROF.K.L.GANJU 02/03.05.1990
72 SMT. PRANA GANJOO 02/03.05.1990
73 VINOD KR. CHATTA 03.05.1990
74 VINOD KUMAR 03.05.1990
75 DAYA KRISHN 03.05.1990
76 SURIEND CHAND 04.05.1990
77 MOHAN LAL BHAT 04.05.1990
78 RAMESH KR. RAINA 05.05.1990
79 SURINDER DHAR 05.05.1990
80 VINOD KUMAR 06.05.1990
81 KUNDAN LAL GANJOO 07.05.1990
82 DOLLY 07.05.1990
83 RAMESH KR RAINA 07.05.1990
84 BIHARI LAL LABAROO 09.05.1990
85 RATTAN LAL 10.05.1990
86 BABLI RAINA 10.05.1990
87 SURINDER KUMAR 10.05.1990
88 MOTI LAL BHAT 10.05.1990
89 BABLI RAINA 10.05.1990
90 AMAR NATH BAGATI 11.05.1990
91 OMKAR NATH 11.05.1990
92 POSHKAR NATH 11.05.1990
93 MOHAN LAL 13.05.1990
94 INDERJEET 13.05.1990
95 VEER JI @VAID JI BHAT 13.05.1990
96 ASHOK KUMAR 13.05.1990
97 BUSHAN LAL 13.05.1990
98 DAYA KRISHEN DULLO 13.05.1990
99 MAM MOHAN SHARMA 15.05.1990
100 SAROOP NATH 15.05.1990
101 A.K.WAZIR 15.05.1990
102 BUSHAN LAL KOUL 16.05.1990
103 BUSHAN LAL 17.05.1990
104 SHAM LAL SHARMA 17.05.1990
105 CHUNI LAL 17.05.1990
106 SURESH KR. KISSU 17.05.1990
107 MANMOHAN BACHLOO 18.05.1990
108 JIYA LAL KAW 18.05.1990
109 MINOR 18.05.1990
110 DILEEP KUMAR 19.05.1990
111 MOTI LAL RAINA 20.05.1990
112 DILEEP JI 21.05.1990
113 PRATHIVI NATH HAKIM 21.05.1990
114 CHAMAN LAL PANDIT 22.05.1990
115 PREM NATH BHAT 23.05.1990
116 SHAMBU NATH 24.05.1990
117 BANSI LAL SHARMA 24.05.1990
118 PREM NATH BHAT 25.05.1990
119 SHANKER DASS 26.05.1990
120 CHAMAN LAL TICKOO 28.05.1990
121 SEEMA ALIAS BABLI 28.05.1990
122 RAMESH KR RAINA 28.05.1990
123 MAHARAJ KRISHEN 30.05.1990
124 JAWAHIR LAL WANCHOO 30.05.1990
125 KRISHAN LAL WAGROO 31.05.1990
126 CHAMAN LAL TICKOO 31.05.1990
127 AVTAR KRISHEN 31.05.1990
128 JAGAR NATH 31.05.1990
129 RAMESH KUMAR 01.06.1990
130 KANA YA LAL BHAT 01.06.1990
131 BADRI NATH 02.06.1990
132 DAMODHAR RAINA 02.06.1990
133 BUSHAN LAL KOUL 02.06.1990
134 DAMODAR SWAROOP RAINA 02.06.1990
135 SATISH LAL KALLA 03.06.1990
136 SHIBAN KRISHEN KULLA 03.06.1990
137 AFTAB RAM 04.06.1990
138 GOKAL NATH 04.06.1990
139 RADHA KRISHAN PATWARI 06.06.1990
140 JAWAHIR LAL BHAT 06.06.1990
141 RAMESH KR. RAINA 07.06.1990
142 RAJ KR. JAILKHANI 07.06.1990
143 SHAM LAL 07.06.1990
144 RADHA KRISHAN 07.06.1990
145 SMT.GIRJA TICKOO 11.06.1990
146 INDER KUMAR 11.06.1990
147 KANAYA LAL 11.06.1990
148 SOOM NATH 11.06.1990
149 GIRJA KUMARI TICKOO 11.06.1990
150 ASHOK KR. PANDITA 12.06.1990
151 KANYA LAL 12.06.1990
152 TRILOKI NATH 12.06.1990
153 CHUNI LAL 13.06.1990
154 DAYARAM KOUL 13.06.1990
155 RUGH NATH 14.06.1990
156 RUGH NATH 14.06.1990
157 A.K.SAFAYA 15.06.1990
158 DAYARAM KOUL 15.06.1990
159 RAMCHAND 15.06.1990
160 SAROOP NATH 16.06.1990
161 GOPI CHAND 17.06.1990
162 BADRI NATH KOUL 18.06.1990
163 JAWAHIR LAL GANJOO 18.06.1990
164 SMT. PARANA GANJOO 18.06.1990
165 SMT.DURGA KOUL 18.06.1990
TEJ KRISHAN PANDIT 19.06.1990
166 RAJINDER KR. TICKOO 20.06.1990
167 SANJAY THUSOO 21.06.1990
168 SMT GIGARI 22.06.1990
169 BAL KRISHEN TATOO 22.06.1990
170 BALJEE 22.06.1990
171 MAKHAN LAL RAINA 22.06.1990
172 SMT. ROHINI 22.06.1991
173 MAKHAN LAL RAINA 22.06.1990
174 M.L.BHAT 22/23.06.1990
175 ASHOK KUMAR 23.06.1990
176 PRATHAVI NATH TICKOO 23.06.1990
177 ASHWANI KUMAR 23.06.1990
178 ASHOK KR. KOTHA 24.06.1990
179 SOOM NATH 24.06.1990
180 CHAMAN LAL TICKOO 24.06.1990
181 SOOM NATH KOUL 24.06.1990
182 BADRI NATH WATTAL 25.06.1990
183 SATISH KR RAINA 25.06.1990
184 BRIJ LAL RAINA 26.06.1990
185 SATISH KUMAR 26.06.1990
186 GOPAL NATH 26.06.1990
187 RAMESH RAZDAN 26.06.1990
188 T.N.RAINA 26.06.1990
189 YOGESH KUMAR 26.06.1990
190 GOPI NATH RAINA 26.06.1990
191 BRIJ LAL RAINA 26.06.1990
192 RAMESH RAZDAN 26.06.1990
193 BRIJ LAL RAINA 26.06.1990
194 SMT. BABLI 28.06.1990
195 SMT.ROOPAWATI 28.06.1990
196 VIVAK LABAROO @SHABAJEE 29.06.1990
197 OMKAR NATH MATTOO 30.06.1990
198 PROF. NEEL KANT. RAINA 30.06.1990
199 RAJINDER 30.06.1990
200 OMKAR NATH MATTOO 30.06.1990
201 TRILKOI NATH 01.07.1990
202 N.G.SADHU 01.07.1990
203 DINA NATH 01.07.1990
204 RAJ NATH DHAR 01.07.1990
205 SMT. GIRJA DHAR 01.07.1990
206 SMT. TEJA DHAR 01.07.1990
207 PREDHIMAN KRISHAN 02.07.1990
208 SMT. ARANDATTI 02.07.1990
209 MAKHAN LAL 03.07.1990
210 MOHAN LAL 03.07.1990
211 SATISH KUMAR 06.07.1990
212 JAWAHIR LAL BHAT 06.07.1990
213 GOPI NATH RAINA 07.07.1990
214 DINA NATH MUJOO 07.07.1990
215 GOPI NATH RAINA 07.07.1990
216 SHIBAN KOUL 08.07.1990
217 GOURI SHANKER 09.07.1990
218 AVTAR KRISHAN 09.07.1990
219 INDER KRISHAN 10.07.1990
220 SHAMBU NATH 11.07.1990
221 INDER KUMAR 11.07.1990
222 NANAJI 11.07.1990
223 SHIBAN LAL KOUL 11.07.1990
224 JIWAN LAL 15.07.1990
225 BISHAMBAR NATH KOUL 15/16.07.1990
226 RADHA KRISHAN KOUL 15/16.07.1990
227 VAID PRAKESH KOUL 16.07.1990
228 BRIJ NATH KOUL 16.07.1990
229 ANANAD NARAYAN 17.07.1990
230 CHAND RAM KHER 17.07.1990
231 DR. SONI 18.07.1990
232 BRIJ NATH KOUL 19.07.1990
233 JANKI NATH 20.07.1990
234 NATH JI 26.07.1990
235 VAID LAL 26.07.1990
236 JANKI NATH 26.07.1990
237 GOURI SHANKER 29.07.1990
238 ADARSH JEE 29.07.1990
239 JAI KRISHAN 02.08.1990
240 RAM NATH BHAT 06.08.1990
241 R.K.HANDOO 09.08.1990
242 SAROOP NARAYAN 10.08.1990
243 MANOJ KUMAR 10.08.1990
244 PRATHAVI NATH BALI 10.08.1990
245 VASUDEV PANDIT 11.08.1990
246 D.N.CHOEDHARY 11.08.1990
247 RASHANLAL CHOWDHARY 11.08.1990
248 VASUDEV PANDITA 11.08.1990
249 AUTAR KRISHEN PANDITA 12.08.1990
250 DARSHAN KOUL 15.08.1990
251 MASHER NATH 16.08.1990
252 RATTAN LAL RAINA 18.08.1990
253 SHANKER NATH TIKU 21.08.1990
254 BANSI LAL RAINA 28.08.1990
255 OMKAR NATH KOUL 29.08.1990
256 SHADI LAL BHAT 04.09.1990
257 PRATHVI NATH 05/06.09.1990
258 MAKHAN LAL 08.09.1990
259 HIDAY NATH 09.09.1990
260 GOURI SHANKER 10.09.1990
261 SMT.TRIKAJI 10.09.1990
262 TRILOKI NATH 11.09.1990
263 RAMESH KUMAR 12.09.1990
264 AVTAR KRISHEN 12/13.09.1990
265 DAWARIKA NATH 13.09.1990
266 AVTAR KRISHAN RAINA 14.09.1990
267 RATTAN LAL PANDITA 17.09.1990
268 PAIRAY LAL RAINA 23.09.1990
269 DURGA PRASAD 05.10.1990
270 D.P.KHAZANCHI 06.10.1990
271 JAGAR NATH 07.10.1990
272 ZIND LAL 07.10.1990
273 JAGAR NATH PANDITA 07.10.1990
274 POSHKAR NATH RAZDAN 12.10.1990
275 SMT. USHA JI 14.10.1990
276 AUSHA KOUL 14.10.1990
277 DR.SHIBAN JI KHIRDI 14.10.1990
278 RAJINDER KOUL 14.10.1990
279 SATUSH KOUL 14.10.1990
280 SMT. NEETA JI 14.10.1990
281 SMT.NANCY KOUL 14.10.1990
282 RADHA KRISHEN BHAT 15.10.1990
283 MAKHAN LAL BHAT 17.10.1990
284 PREM NATH BHAT 17.10.1990
285 POSHKER NATH 18.10.1990
286 SMT. PINKI KOUL 09.11.1990
287 MOHAN LAL KOUL 19.11.1990
288 OMKAR NATN WALI 02.01.1991
289 BALDEV RAJ DUTTA 19.01.1991
290 MADAN MOHAN 11.06.1991
291 KASHI NATH KOUL 13.06.1991
292 NANAJEE 13.06.1991
293 SMT. ROHINI 22.06.1991
294 MOHAN LAL MATTOO 01.07.1991
295 SMT. VIJAY BHAT 31.07.1991
296 SURINDER KUMAR 26.08.1991
297 MOHAN LAL 08.10.1991
298 RAMESH KUMAR 09.10.1991
299 POSHKAR NATH 12.10.1991
300 MEHESHER NATH 15.10.1991
301 SHAM LAL PANDITH 15.10.1991
302 KANHAYA LAL PESHIN 18.10.1991
303 KANAYA LAL 19.10.1991
304 JANKI NATH KOUL 14.12.1991
305 ARCHANA BRAROO 30.03.1992
306 SMT. BIMALA BRAROO 30.03.1992
307 SOHAN LAL BRAROO 30.03.1992
308 RATTAN LAL HALI 20.05.1992
309 DURA NATH RAFIZ 03.06.1992
310 CHAMAN LAL KOUL 11.10.1992
311 SOOM NATH RAINA 11.10.1992
312 H.N.WANCHOO 05.12.1992
313 SMT.ASHA PANDIT 29.12.1992
314 TEJ KRISHEN 12.02.1993
315 PREM NATH BHAT 06.06.1993
316 JAGAR NATH 06.07.1993
317 NEEL KANT LALA 25.07.1993
318 KANYA LAL DUDHA 14.08.1993
319 AVTAR KRISHEN 24.10.1993
320 PRADEEP KUMAR BHAT 28.01.1994
321 SANJAY KUMAR @CHAKO 10.05.1994
322 PIYAR LAL RAINA 13.07.1994
323 TEJ KRISHEN BHAT 03.12.1994
324 SONA RAM 25.07.1995
325 CHUNI LAL BHAT 12.05.1996
326 RAJ NATH 05.06.1996
327 AVTAR KRISHAN 21/22.03.1997
328 BUSHAN LAL BHAT 21/22.03.1997
329 DEELEEP BHAT 21/22.03.1997
330 PAIRAY LAL PANDIT 21/22.03.1997
331 SANJAY BHAT 21/22.03.1997
332 TRILOKI NATH 21/22.03.1997
333 VIJAY BHAT 21/22.03.1997
334 AKSHAY KUMAR 25.01.1998
335 BADRI NATH 25.01.1998
336 JYOTI 25.01.1998
337 KASHI NATH 25.01.1998
338 MEENAKSHI 25.01.1998
339 MOTI LAL BHAT 25.01.1998
340 RAKESH KUMAR 25.01.1998
341 SANJAY KR. BHAT 25.01.1998
342 SARIKA 25.01.1998
343 SARLA KUMARI 25.01.1998
344 SEEMA KUMARI 25.01.1998
345 SMT. CHOTI 25.01.1998
346 SMT. DULARI 25.01.1998
347 SMT. NEERU JI 25.01.1998
348 SUDARSHAN 25.01.1998
349 TRILOKI NATH 25.01.1998
350 VIJAY KUMAR 25.01.1998
351 VIKAS KUMAR 25.01.1998
352 VINOD KUMAR 25.01.1998
353 ASHOK KUMAR 04.02.2000
354 UNSHOO 04.02.2000
355 VEER JI 04.02.2000
356 BRIJ NATH BHAT 04.03.2000
357 SMT LAKHSHMI DEVI 21.12.2001
358 SMT. SONI 21.12.2001
359 AMIT KHER 24.03.2003
360 AVTAR KRISHAN 24.03.2003
361 BANSI LAL 24.03.2003
362 BANSI LAL 24.03.2003
363 JIGA KUMARI 24.03.2003
364 LASA KOUL 24.03.2003
365 LOK NATH 24.03.2003
366 MOHAN LAL 24.03.2003
367 MUNA 24.03.2003
368 PRETAM KRISHEN 24.03.2003
369 PRETAM KUMARI 24.03.2003
370 PRINCY KUMARI 24.03.2003
371 RADHA KRISHEN BHAT 24.03.2003
372 RAJANI 24.03.2003
373 RAJINI KUMARI 24.03.2003
374 RADHA KRISHEN BHAT 24.03.2003
375 RAJANI 24.03.2003
376 RAJINI KUMARI 24.03.2003
377 RAKESH KUMAR 24.03.2003
378 SMT SUMAN JI 24.03.2003
379 SMT. SOOMAVATI 24.03.2003
380 SMT.ASHA 24.03.2003
381 SURAJ 24.03.2003
382 TRILOKI NATH 24.03.2003
383 TEJ KRISHAN 03.12.2004.
384 O. N. MOTTA 29.07.1990
385 USHA KUMARI KOUL 14.10.1990
386 RATINDER KOUL 14.10.1990
387 Radha Krishen Koul 24.08.1990
and MANY MORE..they we killed in their home in offices on road where ever they were found.And world was silent.
( This is a post I found on whatsup)
Temple converted into Dustbin!
A Shiva temple converted into a Mass Dustbin at Sathu barbar Shah, Srinagar, Kashmir.
Isn’t it Genocide of Religion and identity of Kashmiri Hindus!
Aftermath of 19 jan 1990-How and why I fled Kashmir
1990, jan 19, invoked the demons within the people of a large section of the majority community to commit the heinous acts blatantly. Kashmiri Pandits’s(KP’s) still dread that cold night of January. Most the KP’s felt that they will be attacked by the colossal Islamic-mobs meandering the lanes and sub-lanes of the valley with an anti-India mission that night. The cacophonous slogans by the mobs instilled a fear among the KP’s. And the bullets from the A.K 47’s of the militants that killed hundreds of KP’s made sure that the Hindus flee Kashmir.
19 Jan 1990 triggered the subsequent events that cleansed the KP’s as a community from the valley. While many quixotic flowery dreams of the KM’s were soon shattered, when the Army took over, the wounds left by that bestial night left a gangrene in the minds of KP’s as a community .It will be 24 years now, since KP’s left the frenzied valley of the 1990.Not a single KP had thought that their return to their motherland will take such a long time. The forced departure was gruesome but quick .However their return to the valley is still elusive. And with passing time, they are slowly but surely getting erased from the Tapestry of Kashmir.
My encounter with two friends Dalip Bhat and Sanjay Bhat, who left the valley in 1990; their experience, and what made them exit from Kashmir after that cold night of 19 Jan 1990!
Few days back ,I asked Dalip, “what does 19 jan 1990 mean to you?”He said, ”Nothing ! I don’t think of Kashmir anymore.” I asked surprisingly, “why is it so?”. He looked straight into my eyes and said, “Do you remember when you visited me while I was posted as a casual worker with Govt. department at Pulwama, Kashmir.” I said calmly, “Yes! But what has it to do with Kashmir!” He said , “I was working on ad-hoc basis with the Forest department .I was just 19 years old in 1989.But I was happy. My village in Murran, pulwama was everything to me. We had rice-fields and orchards. And cows. My family was self-sufficient. I or my family had never- ever thought of moving out of the valley . But then the militancy erupted and the militants backed by Pakistan started killing us. Everything changed after that”. He paused, as if thinking something. “In the midst of a spring night of 1990, I fled Kashmir along with mine and Sanjay’s family . Sanjay’s father was on the hit-list of militants. We were moving stealthily from karfal mohalla to fateh Kadal with our belongings. Karfal mohalla was more sensitive at that time.” He said. His mobile phone rang .He saw the number and excused himself to attend the call.
When Dileep came back after 5 minutes or so, I requested to him to continue. He thought for a while and said, “After many physical, mental and verbal abuses from the majority community, who were clearly on a mission to free Kashmir from the Indians-including us, We somehow managed to reach Jammu.” I interrupted him and asked him, “ Tell me something about your early experiences of Jammu?”.He yawned , stretched his body for a moment, smiled and said, “I lived in Misriwala camp for three years. I was running a grocery shop there. For another one and a half years, I became a trader. I was a sort of stockist of polythene bags. Then I went to Delhi and worked there for 2 years. I came back to Jammu after my mother fell ill in 1998. Thereafter, I opened a Hardware shop in lower Roop-Nagar and I am still in the same Business since then.” There was a sense of pride in what he was saying. “How is your Business now?” I asked him.
“It is good.I have nine shops in a row. Business is excellent. In spite of everything, I feel, I need some more space to stock things like sanitary ware, tiles etc.” “how do you got the idea of opening this shop?”, I asked him. He said, “when, I came here back in 1998, I sensed that lot of KP’s are constructing new houses. Hence, I too opened a shop. And as it proved, It was really a very good decision.” I quipped “But, you didn’t really answered my question, which I asked in the beginning i.e Jan 19 1990?”.
He deliberated for a while and said, “ the memories of Jan 19-20 and the aftermath will ever remain engraved in the minds all those KP’s who were present in the valley. Never before had we witnessed anything wicked- like that of 1990 . Even in my village Murran, the majority community indirectly facilitated our exodus. They had told us categorically that, in case of any militant attack on us, they will side with the militants. Some people say, the mass-madness of the majority community in early 90 was an instantaneous impromptu reaction of the Muslims towards an oppressed rule. OK, I agree for a moment. But will they, who have occupied KP properties or sold illegally KP properties ever wish for their return? Aren’t those people getting patronage from all the political parties? And what is the Guarantee that 1990 will not be repeated if KP’s opt to return back? Majority community en-masse created an environment that forced us to flee. Will there be ever any mass rally that will call for the returns of the KP’s back to the valley?” He fired questions at me. I had no answers. “I have struggled a lot to reach, where I am today. That is why I don’t want to think about Kashmir.” He said with a sigh. His phone rang again, he looked at his Mobile, then at me, I sensed that it was an urgent call. “Attend your call.I will wait”, said I. He went outside the room again. I started thinking about my last encounter with Sanjay.
I knew Sanjay since we were children. Dileep was his relative. In early April 1990, Sanjay was persuaded by his mother to leave for Jammu. He was told by his mother to attend a wedding at Jammu. Underneath the persuasion of his mother was the concern of his safety . Kashmir was a cauldron in 1990. Hindus were branded as infidels or informers and then hunted dead by the militants with impunity. Like every other Kashmiri Hindu, Sanjay’s mother too wanted to keep away her children from the trouble. Sanjay went to the Jammu in the first week of April 1990 on the behest of his mother.
When I had met Sanjay 3-4 months back, I asked him about his ordeal.“I was in Jammu in early April 1990, to attend a wedding. Though Jammu was calm, I knew Kashmir was not. I used to wait eagerly for the news from any source. Be it newspapers in the morning or radio or T.V. in the evenings. The news was disappointing and disheartening. Everyday, I used to listen that a K.P was killed in one locality or other. And then one late evening I got a call from my mother. She told me that my father is on the hit list of the Militants for being a “Mukhbir”(informer).I boarded the Bus to Srinagar early next day morning to help my family,. I reached my home in karfaol mohalla by night. My father was visibly shaken by the threat. He had not ventured outside his home for a week, not even to buy his cigarette. Instead, my younger brother used to buy tobacco and father used an old Hubble-Bubble to smoke.” I was listening to him with attention. “The killing of Satish Tickoo was still fresh in our mind. After all, he was the son of our landlord. Hence, we had taken the threat with seriousness. we were living like frightened pigeons” He asserted.
“We wanted to leave Kashmir ASAP. Every other day, a Kashmiri pandit was gunned down mercilessly by the militants. KP’s were framed by the militants and no-one would dare to challenge their Jihadi-gag-order. My father was a School master. He was a simple and a non-political man. Yet he was framed. I knew dozens of KP’s who were framed as informers. In fact each and every KP family had a member that was framed for being an informer. What was the message they were trying to convey?” he asked me. He took a deep puff of cigarette, inhaled it, rounded his mouth and blew the smoke in rings. Instead of answering, I was just looking at him . And then he said in a choking voice, “the message was clear that they don’t want a KP there- simple”
“How did you fled from Kashmir?” I asked him. He said, “Immediately, after I reached back to Kashmir, I starting looking for a truck to carry us and our belongings to jammu. After a couple of days, with the help of my KP neighbors, I arranged a Truck. My sister and his family were staying in Fateh-Kadal those days. The night , when we were fleeing Kashmir, I, Daleep and his cousin carried our belongings on our backs and travelled on foot from karfal mohalla to Fateh-Kadal in the midst of night. The Muslim ladies who saw us leaving en-route with our belongings, hurled philippics at us. The invectives and their curses are still fresh in my mind. A couple of ladies, out of hatred for our community, even spitted on us from their first-floor-windows. But, we did not stop. There were five more KP families with us in the truck. we had a sigh of relief upon reaching Jammu”. His face was visibly angry as he was recalling the incident.
“Jan 1990 invokes fear, anarchy ,mobocracy, A.K 47’s, shrilled tones of the loudspeakers of the neighborhood mosques. cold-blooded murders of KP’s. Burning schools. Burning houses .Burning bridges. Burning tyres. Stoning of tin-rooftops of our houses in the middle of night. And an idiosyncratic resentment and hate towards my community” said infuriated Sanjay .I too had experienced the same. Every KP had experienced the same.
By now Dileep came back. After discussing some personal issues, I asked for his permission to leave. I stood up and moved towards the door. As I was leaving, he said, “ It was 28 April 1990, 2.00a.m in the morning, when I fled from Kashmir. I want to forget it all. But Somehow, I can’t”
I know for sure, not a single KP has forgotten Kashmir. The aftermath of the clear, cold night of 19 jan 1990 still haunts the community of KP’s. The slogans raised by a large section of Kashmiri Muslims like “Asa gach Pakistan, Batao ros te batnav saan”(we want Pakistan with KP women and without KP men) clearly reflected their state of mind, and the ghouls reigning their mind and conscience in the 90’s. The prolonged time away from their homeland has in fact made KP’s return to Kashmir difficult. If The aftermath of 1990 intensified the anti-India emotion among the Kashmiri Muslim youth, It also created an abyss between the valley of Kashmir and the Kashmiri Pandits, depriving them to return, to the land of their ancestors even after 24 years.
Year after Year, more and more people like Dalip opine that they will not return to Kashmir now, because for them, professionally, there is nothing they can do in Kashmir. Still, there are many who wish for their return everyday. But, I fear that nothing will change if the State Gov. and GOI doesn’t make a roadmap for the return of KP’s exactly the same way, as desired by the KP’s as a community.
But will they?
Kashmir Minorities conversation
It just happened that a few days Back, I met my childhood friend Aashiq at cannaught place, New Delhi. Ashiq is the son of a “shia pir”(sort of Oracle) and lives in the Dal-Lake area of Kashmir. Even though, he came from a poor family, he has managed to do well for himself and is presently working as a Govt. employee in J&K. He was being accompanied by another friend of his “Harmeet”-a Kashmiri Sikh. We headed towards the coffee shop nearby.
We talked about our childhood and that fun. We talked about our boat rides.swimming. Our hiking expeditions and Zabarwan. Our discussions veered towards the present situation in Kashmir viz-a-viz the socio-economic life of the minorities of Kashmir. Harjeet said, “Sikhs of kashmiri were mostly well-off. We are a peaceful community just as pundits and are generally seen as innocuous and gentle humans.”He added, “With the advent of so-called-jihad, we are tacitly subjugated by the majority sunni community. Many of the sikh girls had been lured by the Sunnis on the pretext of love and marriage. And their religion changed after wedding.” Harjeet paused for a moment and said, ”Many of our youths are side-tracked in govt. jobs in spite of good education and capabilities. We know we are being treated as second-hand citizens. we are ready for the impending doom for being a minority of Kashmir. Most of us have brought houses and lands outside Kashmir. We know, our fate can be that of Kashmiri Pandits- who were forced to flee.”
Shahid was quietly listening. I asked him about his opinion on the plight of Shias in Kashmir. He said, “Whatever is happening in Pakistan is bound to be repeated in Kashmir.” His statement reminded of his cousin Shabbir. It was in late-eighties when a sectarian clash broke between shias and sunnis. Shabbir was one such victim of Sunni hegemony. That fateful day, he was at the wrong place at wrong time. Somebody in the crowd had pointed finger towards him and shouted, “He is a Khudd(a derogatory word used for shia-muslims in Kashmir).” He was stripped of his clothes by the crowd that constituted the majority community of sunnis. He was forced to run stark-naked towards his home in the Dal-Lake area. While he was being humiliated, many people in the crowd were cheering and galvanizing the mob to do more such shameful acts.
“We do not support Pakistan. The support to Azadi is because of our compulsion. Even though shia militant-groups were formed by our community, but they hardly participated. It was a gesture to show that we support them. We did not wanted to be conspicuous by not supporting them. Even though we did not really supported them.”said Shahid as he further added, “You can ask any Kashmiri Pandit, who are living in shia-dominated areas in Kashmir. They are the safest in our areas.” I knew it already, Many Kashmiri pundits stay put in their villages that were shia-dominated even when militancy was at its peak.
Harjeet intercepted Jokingly, “ Sunnis consider them as untouchables and untrustworthy”. Shahid nodded his head in approval and said, “we are ready to fight with them with our fists or with bullets.” With a whiff of anger. He said further, “we will fight back” with a determined tone. “when a sunni is killed by armed forced for whatever reason, they come on streets to protest. And if a shia is killed, not a brow is raised.” said shahid.
I was getting late as I had an appointment. But before that, I asked them about Kashmiri Pandits. Harjeet said , “Had you stayed back in Kashmir, you would have faced more ignominy and collateral damage in terms of life and the honour of KP ladies.” Shahid also approved as he said, “The general feeling is that you will never come back again”. He gesticulated as he said, “ And they will make sure that you don’t come back again.”
I took their permission and left them alone in the cafeteria. The last lines of Shahid were reverberating in my mind, “And they will make sure that you don’t come back again”. But I have pinned hope against hope that I will return someday, sometime. But I will return for sure….
Saving my Rakhi Brother(1990)
1990, when jihadi hooliganism was at its peak, My childhood friend and next-door neighbor, Hamida, came to my home late evening. She looked happy and cheerful as always. There was only one discussion that people were interested in, during those turbulent times-Militancy and Militants. Hamida was no exception. She was in privy of the sources/ militants that were carrying the execution orders of the Hindu minorities on the behest of their Pakistani masters sitting across the border. She was in fact proud of her association with the Militants.
“I want to share something with you!” she said to me eagerly. “OK, Tell me”, I said casually.”No, not here, let us go upstairs or into the next room. It is very confidential”. Now, my curiosity was aroused. I said “OK, Let us go upstairs”. We both went upstairs to “Kainee”(parapet/ top most floor of the house). She was bubbling with energy as she said,” Tomorrow morning, It is the turn of Ashok. He will be shot dead by the militants tomorrow. Don’t tell this to anybody ever. I am sharing this with you as you are my friend”. My heart sank, but I composed myself quickly and said, “Let them kill him. He deserves it.” She said, “ Wow! I love militants. Let the pundits who are leaving every day for jammu leave, but you stay here. Don’t you worry. Nothing will ever happen to you or your family.” I smiled back at her.” Militants are only killing Indian agents and informers” she said. I nodded my head.
I wanted to tell her, “No! militants are killing Kashmiri Pandits for no reason. I wanted to tell her that militants are killing for the sake of jihad. For fame. For money. For power. For self-importance. For their desires and lust”. But, I could not muster courage. I wanted to tell her that it is the anti-Hindu sentiment that is being fanned by the maulvis of the Mosques by using Islamic terminologies to galvanize the common Muslims, and kill the hindus with impunity and without compunction. I wanted to tell her,” No, There is no bravery and holiness in killing hapless, unarmed innocent Pandits”. But I remained quite. After all, I too wanted to live.
Hamida would not leave me alone that evening for a moment, Though I wanted her to go back, so that I could run into Ashok’s house and inform him about his assassination plans by militants. Ashok was a neighbor and a friend of my brother. He was like my elder brother and I used to tie a “Rakhi” to him every year. Even the thought of getting him killed was suffocating me. But that day Hamida was in no hurry to go back to her home. I wanted to get rid of her so desperately that day. But It looked as if she had other plans. She was chattering incessantly and I was nodding my head in approval cursorily, I was in fact thinking hard, to somehow convey the insidious killing plot of militants to Ashok.
Finally, I came up with a plan. I said to her, “ Hamida, I just realized that I had to call up my relatives in Jammu.” She asked, “ which ones? “. I said, “My maternal uncle. They too fled for Jammu few days back.” “Oh! I see. OK, by the time you will call your uncle, I will buy curd from Ismail Goor”. Ismail Goor, The milkman’s shop was located just opposite to Ashok’s house. I could not go to his house in front of Hamida as that could raise suspicion. My mind was over-working, but I still said,” OK, Let us go”.
During those days, Telephone was a status-symbol and not everybody had the privilege of having a Phone at home. Ashok was a Govt. employee working with the telecom department and was thus in possession of a telephone connection. Adjacent to the Ashok’s house were “Dhar’s” and next to “Dhars” were “Raina’s”. “Raina’s” too had a telephone connection at their home.
We reached too quickly at “Ismail Goor’s” shop.I said to Hamida, “ I will go to Rainas and make a call. You wait for me here.” She said,” alright”. I went towards “Raina’s” house. Before stepping into their house, I turned back. Hamida was staring at me from the milkman’s shop. I quickly went inside the compound of the “Raina’s” and scaled the wall to reach into the compound of “Dhar’s”. I scaled the wall flanking Dhar’s and Ashok’s house and jumped with a “thud” into the compound of Ashok. My knees were aching because of the impact of the jump. But I had no time for small physical pains. The back door of Ashok’s house was ajar.I went inside. Ashok was sitting right there in his Drawing-room. I hugged him and tears rolled down from my cheeks. He was perplexed.”What happened Didda?”he jerked me. I said, “ Leave this place as soon as possible. Militants are planning to kill you.”I told him briefly about my encounter with Hamida and her confidential report. By that time, his wife and brother Satish also came. His wife Dolly too began to cry upon knowing the incident. Ashok and Satish consoled us both and they both thanked me for the information. “I need to go back quickly as Hamida is waiting for me and can suspect something fishy if I take too long.”I said to them. Both Ashok and Satish helped me to scale the compound wall and Very soon I landed in “Dhar’s” compound and finally into the compound of the “Raina’s”. As, I opened the main compound door, that opened into the main street, I was shocked to see Hamida standing in front of the door.”Why did you take so long?” said she. “Line was coming busy. I had to try 50 times, before I could connect to my Uncle.”I said. “Oh! I see” she said casually and quickly added, “I have bought video movie cassettes from Shabbir, We will watch them at your home, since you have a VCP”. I said with a sigh of relief, “ OK. Fine.”That night, we watched couple of movies. She stayed overnight at my home.
Next morning, she went back to her home. I thought, let me check whether Ashok had left or not. As, I was about to leave, Hamida came back. she was panting. I gave her a puzzled look. She said incoherently, “ Ashok has fled”. I said “What! I couldn’t get you”. She put her hand on her chest and said slowly and clearly,” Ashok too has left like other pundits “. I said ,” Oh! I see”. She said, “Lucky guy! The militants fired at the locks also suspecting him to be hiding inside. But they found all his family had fled. Not even their neighbors knew, when they fled,”. I gave her a lugubrious look. I was happy inside and thanked God for saving the life of Ashok-My Rakhi Brother.
narrated by-Mrs. Seema kaul
Kashmiri Pandits: VICTIMS of TERROR ‘n HATE CRIME
CRIME against HUMANITY: For the attention of pretended world bodies, contaminated human rights organisations, pseudo-secularists, self-styled leaders, so-called policy makers, tainted political parties and slack bureaucracy…..!
Kashmir can claim the distinction of being the only region of India which possesses an uninterrupted series of written records of its history. The earlier known kings of the Valley are Gonanda I and Damodara I. According to Kalhana, Gonanda I was the contemporary of Kauravas and Pandavas (later Vedic period). Hasan Khuihami claims to have traced the thirty-five kings, which were missing in Kalhana’s chronicle. Of the early kings who ruled over Kashmir at the beginning of Christian era, Ashoka followed Buddhism; while his son, Jaloka, reverted to the worship of Lord Shiva. The Buddhists, however, regained their strength under the patronage of the Turushka kings-Hushka, Jushka and Kanishka.
History of the Kashmiri Pandits is the history of Kashmir since unknown millennia. They are associated with its very existence – society, culture, civilization, customs, traditions, myths and realities. A period of comparative historical validity in the region began with the establishment of the Karkuta rule in AD 627. During the regime of Lohara dynasty, Kashmir came into direct contact with the Muslim invaders who attacked India. When Mahmud Ghazni annexed the Punjab, most of the tribes on the borders of Kashmir embraced Islam. At that time, the Valley was ruled by Sangram Raja (AD 1003-1028). Even after their conversion to Islam, these people continued to visit Kashmir – as traders, wanderers and even missionaries. There are historical evidences that some of these tribals settled in a locality called “Malichmar” near Alikadal (Srinagar) and made some venture into propagating their new religion.
Harsha (AD 1089-1101), was a man of extravagant habits and a jumble of contraries. He robbed temple treasures and got the idols of gold and silver melted to tide over his financial crisis. Before him two other kings, Jalauka and Kalasa, employed the same approach of plundering the temples to augment their depleted treasuries. Harsha also employed Muslim generals, who are called Turushkas by Kalhana, for the first time in the history of Kashmir. Now Muslims as a class appeared in the political field and began to consolidate its roots. Bhikshachara, a descendant of Harsha, organized a cavalry force mainly consisting of the Muslims. During the reign of Gopadeva (AD 1171-1180), the Brahmans once again consolidated their position. But Ramadeva (AD 1252-1273) humiliated those Brahmans who had helped him in his coronation. A reign of terror, loot and plunder was let loose against them. Many Brahmans were killed and others crushed barbarously. This was the first direct assault against them in the history of Kashmir. To save themselves they concealed their identity and cried “ Na Batoham” (I am not a Hindu).
To counter the supremacy of the Brahmans, the rulers of Kashmir encouraged the influx of Muslims into the Valley. During the reign of Suhadeva (AD 1301-1320) many Muslim adventurers came to Kashmir. The chief among them was a Muslim missionary- Bulbul Shah. Two others were Shahmir from Swat and Rinchana from Tibet. Shahmir came in AD 1313 along with his numerous relations. Suhadeva granted him a jagir in a village near Baramulla. Ramachandra, the Prime Minister, employed Rinchana and granted him jagir in a village in the Lar Valley. These two adventurers were instrumental in the establishment of the Muslim rule in Kashmir. Another adventurer who received Suhadeva’s patronage was Lankar Chak.
Dulucha, a Tartar chief from Central Asia, invaded Kashmir with 60,000 strong horsemen. Suhadeva tried to induce him to retreat by paying him off a large sum of money. For this purpose he imposed heavy taxes even upon the Brahmans who had never before been taxed. But Dulucha refused to retreat and struck terror. He ravaged the Valley with fire and sword. Terrible miseries were inflicted upon the people including the Brahmans. According to Baharistan – i -Shahi, “Dulucha and his soldiers killed everyone they could find . People who had fled to the hills and forests were pursued and captured. Men were killed, women and children were reduced to slavery and sold to the merchants of Khita (Turkistan), whom the invaders had brought with them. All the houses in the cities and the villages were burnt. The invaders ate as much of the corn and rice as they could . Whatever was left, they burnt and destroyed. In this way the whole of the Kashmir Valley was trampled under foot”. Suhadeva fled to Kishtwar, leaving the Kingdom to the cruel aggressors. Dulucha stayed here for eight months and took about 50,000 Brahmans with him as slaves. But all the troops and slaves perished while crossing the Devsar Pass. It was a terrible experience for the legendary Kashmiri Pandits. The cruel invader went away from the Valley but left it haunted. The cursed people had lost all faith in their ruler- Suhadeva. Taking the advantage of the chaos and confusion, Rinchana- the refugee from Tibet, occupied the throne with the help of some chiefs . He killed his benefactor, Ramachandra, in the fort of Lar by treacherous means and married his daughter, Kota Rani.
Rinchana, a Buddhist, wanted to get initiated into the Brahmanical fold to strengthen his political position. At that time, Shaivism was the most extensively practised religion in the Valley. So he called Sri Devaswami, the religious head of the Shaivas, to indoctrinate himself into the Hindu religion. Devaswami called a meeting of the prominent Pandits, who refused to accept Rinchana into Hinduism because of his low birth. Jonaraja says,” The King asked Devaswami to initiate him in the mantras of Shiva, but as he was Bhautta (Tibetian), Devaswami feared that the King was unworthy of such initiation and did not favour him”. This was a tremendous blunder on the part of Pandits, which turned the course of history. In fact, the Brahmans were not ready to share their privileges with an outsider. Thus deflected, Rinchana wanted to establish a uniform faith of warring sects and creeds in Kashmir with himself as its head. But Shahmir and Bulbul Shah managed his conversion to Islam. Ramachandra’s son, Ravanachandra, and many others also embraced Islam. A Muslim ruling class came into existence. In this way the Kashmiri Pandits were responsible for the destruction of their own ascendency and the ruin of their very existence. They are tremendously paying for it even now. People of inferior origin and subordinate castes were attracted to Islam by gradual methods. This newly established Muslim class slowly consolidated its position and employed various methods to propagate the new faith. However, the Brahmans put a brave front and resisted the tide. After the death of Rinchana (AD 1326), Udyanadeva, the brother of Suhadeva, was installed on the throne of Kashmir and Shahmir was appointed as Commander-in-Chief.
Achala, a Turkish Chief, invaded Kashmir during the reign of Udyanadeva, laying waste the territories he passed through. The king fled to Tibet. Kota Rani – the queen, faced the invader, procured his death and saved the kingdom. In this operation , Shahmir played the dominant role. Jonaraja says, “Strange that this Believer in Allah became the saviour of the people. As a dried up river allows men to cross it and gives them shelter on its banks, even so this believer in Allah, calm and active, protected the terrified subjects.” Shahmir’s influence increased tremendously and he further strengthened his position by entering into matrimonial relations with the powerful nobles in Kashmir. A subversive struggle was born between the tolerant Hinduism and the militant Islam.
In AD 1339, after defeating Kota Rani by a foul strategem and procuring her death, Shahmir ascended the throne of Kashmir under the name of Sultan Shamas-ud-Din (The Light of the Religion – Islam). He got khutaba read and the coins struck to his name. Islam became the court religion. Shahmir became the legitimate author and architect of Muslim rule in Kashmir. With the establishment of the new regime Muslim missionaries, preachers, sayyids and saints penetrated into the Valley. Sayyid Jalal-ud-Din, Sayyid Taj-ud-Din, Sayyid Hussain Simnani, Sayyid Masud and Sayyid Yusuf came to Kashmir to avoid the intended massacre by Timur. Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani (Shah Hamadan) entered Kashmir with 700 sayyids; and, his son, Mir Muhammad Hamadani, with 300 more. They endured in the Valley under royal protection and disseminated the message of Islam. Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani (AD 1314-AD 1385) wrote in “ Zakhirat’ul Maluk ” :
1. Muslim ruler shall not allow fresh constructions of Hindu temples and shrines for image worship.
2. No repair shall be executed to the existing Hindu temples and shrines.
3. They shall not proffer Muslim names.
4. They shall not ride a harnessed horse.
5. They shall not move about with arms.
6. They shall not wear rings with diamonds.
7. They shall not deal in or eat bacon.
8. They shall not exhibit idolatrous images.
9. They shall not built houses in the neighbourhood of Muslims.
10. They shall not dispose of their dead in the neighbourhood of Muslim graveyards, nor weep or wail over their dead.
11. They shall not deal in or buy Muslim slaves.
12. No Muslim traveller shall be refused lodging in the Hindu temples and shrines where he shall be treated as a guest for three days by non-Muslims.
13. No non-Muslim shall act as a spy in the Muslim state.
14. No problem shall be created for those non-Muslims who, of their own will, show their readiness for Islam.
15. Non-Muslims shall honour Muslims and shall leave their assembly whenever the Muslims enter the premises.
16. The dress of non-Muslims shall be different from that of Muslims to distinguish themselves.
This naturally caused animosity among the Brahmans and resulted in frail rebellion during the reign of Shihab-ud-Din (AD 1354-1373). In order to break the upheaval among the Hindus and to make them prostrate, the Sultan turned his attention towards their temples. All the temples in Srinagar, including the one at Bijbehara, were wrecked to terrorize the poor Kashmiri Pandits. It seems that by this time, the sultans of Kashmir were perfectly islamized as a result of their contacts, interactions and intercourses with the sayyids. These sayyids came here as absconders in search of safe harbours, but manoeuvered the events for their own cause and fanatic iconoclastic zeal. The Hindus began to feel deserted and alienated in their own land. To consolidate their rule, sultans institutionalized the “policy of extermination” to eradicate all traces of Hinduism in any form. However, the Kashmiri Pandits stuck to their own religion and traditions, ignoring the atrocities, barbarism and cruelties of the privileged ruling class. But there were many from other castes who, either by conviction or in order to gain royal favour, embraced Islam. These new converts were looked down upon by the Kashmiri Pandits as traitorous and treacherous, with no loyalty for time-honored values. This gave rise to a new class rivalry. Suha Bhatt, who after embracing Islam took the name of Saif-ud-Din, became the leader of the fresh converts during the reign of Sikandar (AD 1389-1413).
Sikandar- the Butshikan, was bigoted with fanatic religious zeal to spread Islam in the entire Valley. This fanaticism was stimulated by Mir Muhammad Hamadani. Suha Bhatt – the convert, was appointed Prime Minister by Sikandar and both hatched a deadly conspiracy to prosecute the Hindus and enforce upon the Nizam-i-Mustaffa. Jonaraja says, “ The Sultan forgot his kingly duties and took delight day and night in breaking images … He broke images of Martanda, Vishaya, Ishana, Chakrabrit and Tripureshvara …… There was no city, no town, no village, no wood where Turushka left the temples of the gods unbroken.” According to Hassan (History of Kashmir), “ This country possessed from the times of Hindu rajas many temples which were like the wonders of the world. Their workmanship was so fine and delicate that one found himself bewildered at their sight. Sikandar, goaded by feelings of bigotry, destroyed them and levelled them with the earth and with the material built many mosques and khanqahs. In the first instance he turned his attention towards the great Martand temple built by Ramdev (the temple was rebuilt by King Lalitaditya, AD 724-760) on Mattan Kareva. For one year he tried to demolish it, but failed. At last in sheer dismay, he dug out stones from its base and having stored enough wood in their place, set fire to it. The gold gilt paintings on its walls were totally destroyed and the walls surrounding its premises were demolished. Its ruins even now strike wonder in men’s minds. At Bijbehara, three hundred temples including the famous Vijiveshwara temple, which was partly damaged by Shihab-ud-Din, were destroyed. With the material of Vijiveshwara temple, a mosque was built and on its site a khanqah, which is even now known as Vijiveshwara Khanqah.” The stones and bricks which once configurated a marvelous and splendid temple or monastery, now hold up mosques. Hassan further adds, “ Sikandar meted out greatest oppression to the Hindus. It was notified in the Valley that if a Hindu does not become a Muslim, he must leave the country or be killed. As a result some of the Hindus fled away, some accepted Islam and many Brahmans consented to be killed and gave their lives. It is said that Sikandar collected, by these methods, six maunds of sacred thread form Hindu converts and burnt them. Mir Muhammad Hamadani, who was a witness of all this vicious brutality, barbarism and vandalism, at last advised him to desist from the slaughter of Brahmans and told him to impose jazia (religious tax) instead of death upon them. All the Hindu books of learning were collected and thrown into Dal Lake and were buried beneath stones and earth.” Sikandar issued orders that no man should wear the tilak mark on his forehead and no woman be allowed to perform sati. He also insisted on breaking and melting of all the gold and silver idols of gods and coin the metal into money. An attempt was made to destroy the caste of the Aryan Saraswat Brahmans by force and those who resisted were subject to heavy fines. Farishta says, “ Many of the Brahmans, rather than abandon their religion or their county, poisoned themselves; some emigrated from their native homes, while a few escaped the evil of banishment by becoming Muhammedans”. To strictly enforce the Nizam-i-Mustaffa, Sikandar established the office of Shaikh-ul-Islam.
According to W.R. Lawrence, the Aryan Saraswat Brahmans of Kashmir were given three choices-death, conversion or exile. “Many fled, many were converted and many were killed, and it is said that this thorough monarch (Sikandar) burnt seven maunds of sacred threads of the murdered Brahmans”. As for the statements of Hassan and Lawrence, six maunds of sacred threads of converts and seven maunds of murdered Pandits were burnt. The number of people, to whom these thirteen maunds of sacred threads belonged, might have been tremendously colossal. A mammoth number of the Saraswat Pandits also went into exile, causing the first disastrous mass exodus of the community. When Suha Bhatt- the convert, came to know that many Brahmans were leaving Kashmir, he tried to check their exodus and ordered the frontier guards not to allow any one to cross the borders. The unfortunate Pandits caught while crossing the border were awarded severe punishments. Even the converts were required to pay jazia as they were suspected of secretly clinging to their old religion.
Not only Sikandar- the Butshikan, but Suha Bhatta – the convert, also was responsible for this barbarous, murderous and cruel approach towards the mythical Kashmiri Pandits. Jonaraja says, “ Suha Bhatta- the convert, after demolishing the temples felt the satisfaction, and with the help of sayyids, ulema and newly converts tried to destroy the caste of the people… the illustrious Brahmans declared that they would die rather than lose their caste and religion, and Suha Bhatta – the convert, subjected them to a heavy fine, jazia, because they held to their caste and religion.” There is no parallel of this religious persecution in the history of mankind.
Ali Shah – the tyrant (AD 1413-1430), son of Sikandar- the Butshikan, during his short rule of six years, carried on his father’s 24-year tyrant reign with homicides, conversions, tyranny and enforced jazia. Suha Bhatta – the convert, who retained the prime ministership continued his earlier crimes and atrocities against the Kashmiri Pandits. Jonaraja gives a graphic account of the plight of the illustrious Kashmiri Pandits in the draconian reign of Ali Shah. He says,” Suha Bhatta- the convert, passed the limit by levying fine, jazia, on the twice – born. This evil-minded man forbade ceremonies and processions on the new moon. He became envious that the Brahmans who had become fearless would keep up their caste by going over to foreign countries, he therefore ordered posting of squads on the roads, not to allow passage to any one without a passport. Then as the fisherman torments fish, so this low born man tormented the twice-born in this country. The legendary Brahmans burnt themselves in the flaming fire through fear of conversion. Some Brahmans killed themselves by taking poison, some by the rope and others by drowning themselves. Others again by falling from a precipice. The country was contaminated by hatred and the king’s favourites could not prevent one in a thousand from committing suicide …. A multitude of celebrated Brahmans, who prided in their caste, fled from the country through bye-roads as the main roads were closed. Even as men depart from this world, so did the Aryan Saraswat Brahmans of Kashmir flee to foreign countries. The difficult countries through which they passed, the scanty food, painful illness and the torments of hell during life time removed from the minds of the Kashmiri Pandits the fears of hell. Oppressed by various calamities such as encounter with the enemy, fear of snakes, fierce heat and scanty food; many Brahmans perished on the way and thus obtained salvation.” This was the second miserable mass exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits. Jonaraja calls it “ Chandh-Dandh” – violent, cruel, brutal and horrible punishment, for the abandoned and vulnerable Saraswat Brahmans of Kashmir. History repeated itself again in AD 1989-1990.
The brutal religious persecution of the Kashmiri Pandits has been borne testimony to by almost all the Muslim historians. Hassan, Fauq and Nizam – ud – Din have condemned these excesses in unscathing terms. It was the reign of terror and homicide. The majority of the Hindus were converted forcibly and a large number of them left the Valley. Yet many more were passing their days in the most deplorable conditions only on payment of jazia. The allowance of the Brahman academicians was stopped to destroy the ancient learning, literature, education, art and culture. These enlightened intellectuals had to move from door to door for food, like dogs. One can’t imagine a higher level of mental torture!
The Brahmans, even after paying jazia, could not openly declare themselves as Hindus nor could they apply tilak on their foreheads. Neither could they pray in their temples or perform any religious ceremony. Even then they did not forget their past and rich tradition. As the custodians of their extraordinary cultural heritage, they wrote the illuminating treatises on the stupendous Kashmir Shaivism, colossal literature, splendid art, marvelous music, grammar and medicine.
Sultan Zainul Abidin – the Budshah (Great Monarch), ruled Kashmir from AD 1420 to 1460. The son of Sultan Sikandar – the Butshikan, and the brother of Sultan Ali Shah- the tyrant, Zainul Abidin followed the policy of tolerance, endurance, patience, sympathy and broad mindedness. He recalled the Kashmiri Pandits who had left the Valley during the rule of Sikandar and Ali Shah. Jazia was abolished and the Brahmans were given their earlier positions in administration. Demolished temples were rebuilt and new ones constructed. Two temples were built by Zainul Abidin at Ishbar, Srinagar. The Sultan also participated in the Hindu festivals. A large number of houses were built for the widows of the Brahmans who had suffered during the reign of terror. Zainul Abidin stopped the killing of cows, restricted the eating of beef and catching of fish in the sacred springs of the Hindus. Even the personal law as laid down in the Shastras was adopted for the Hindus. The legenday Kashmiri Pandits were resurrected and resuscitated. Ferguson observes that indeed history has very few examples where the policy of a father was so completely reversed by the son. Even the Mughal monarch, Akbar – the great , capitalized on the religious policy of Zainul Abidin. But the conservative and dogmatic Muslims reacted very sharply to this policy of toleration and mutual coexistence . According to Mulla Bahauddin, “ The Sultan reimported practices of infidels which had once become extinct”.
But the honey-moon of the Kashmiri Pandits proved very brief. During the reign of Haider Shah (AD 1470-1472) – the prodigal son of the great Zainul Abidin, Kashmiri Pandits once again suffered tremendously. Under the evil influence of Purni- the Hindu barber, Haider Shah adopted various corrupt and cruel practices against the Saraswat Brahmans. The repression was so terrible that the tolerant Pandits lost their cool. Hassan says, “ the patience of the Pandits having reached the breaking point, they rose in a body and set fire to some mosques which were built with the material of the Hindu temples once demolished by Sikandar. The rising was quelled by the sword; many more Pandits were drowned in rivers; and, loot and plunder was practiced with unbridled licence.” Srivara also illustrates the cruel and inhuman treatment given to the mythical Kashmiri Saraswat Brahmans, “… many Pandits struggled and threw themselves in river Vitasta to be drowned there. The arms and noses of many people were cut off, even of those Brahmans who were king’s servants.” Ravage and arson of the sacred places continued during the indifferent rule of Hassan Khan (AD 1476-1487), when the real authority was with the gang of three persons- Shams Chak, Shringhar Raina and Musa Raina. The pressure exerted on the illustrious Kashmiri Pandits was so barbarous that, in order to save themselves from merciless brutality, some of them gave up their caste and screamed – “ I am not a Bhatta……… I am not a Bhatta” ( I am not a Hindu). They went in strict seclusion to avoid any argument or controversy.
Mir Shams-ud-Din Iraqi, who visited the Saffron Valley twice in AD 1477 and 1496, was the founder of Nurbakhshiya Order (Shia sect) in Kashmir. His mission was the vigorous propagation of his faith. So, not contented with peaceful preachings, violent methods were employed. In this adventure , Iraqi was helped by the most dreaded tyrant- Malik Musa Raina, a convertee, whose original name was Soma Chandra. Not only the poor vulnerable Brahmans, but the Sunni Muslims were also violently converted to Shia sect by murderous techniques. This dogmatic fanaticism even crippled the Sunni ruler of Kashmir, Fateh Shah (AD 1510-1517). A khanqah was built at Zadibal (Srinagar) by Iraqi, which became the nucleus of Shia concentration.
Kashmiri Pandits suffered ferociously under the instructions of Shams-ud-Din Iraqi and Musa Raina. About 24,000 of them were forcibly converted to Shia sect of Islam. Iraqi had even issued orders that everyday about 1500 to 2000 Brahmans be brought to his doorsteps, remove their sacred threads, administer Kalima to them, circumcise them and make them eat beef. These decrees were ferociously and brutally carried out. The Hindu religious scriptures from 7th century AD onwards and about 18 magnificent temples were destroyed, property confiscated and ladies abused. Thousands of Brahmans killed themselves to evade this horrific barbarism and thousands migrated to other places, resulting in their third tragic mass exodus from the Valley. Those who stayed behind were not only forced to pay jazia, but their noses and ears were chopped off. To escape the tremendous pain and agony, they cried. “I am not a Hindu.” After Kashmir , the next destination of Iraqi for war against so-called infidelity was Kargil. It is now a Shia –dominated area and there are frequent sectarian clashes between them and the Buddhists.
In AD 1519, about ten thousand Kashmiri Pandits died during pilgrimage to Harmukh Ganga, where they had gone to immerse the ashes of those eight hundred Hindus who had been massacred during Ashura a year before. Poet-historian Suka says about this cataclysm, “ Ganga was oppressed with hunger, as it was after a long time that she had devoured bones; she surely devoured the men also who carried the bones.” It was after a gap of many years that the people were allowed to go on a pilgrimage to Harmukh lake, which ended in the most devastating tragedy.
Qazi Chak, the founder of Chak rule in Kashmir (AD 1553-1586), carried on ferocious religious policy and made conversion of many Hindus to Shia sect of Islam. According to Suka, one thousand cows were used to be killed everyday without any opposition under the orders of the Chak rulers, who were Shias, just to injure the religious sentiments of the Kashmiri Pandits. These celebrated and highly educated Aryan Saraswat Brahmans were made the objects of laughter and reproach. They were publically taunted, abused and humiliated. The last Chak ruler, Yaqub Chak, had a bigoted zeal for the propagation of Shia sect and planned mass conversion of the Hindus. However, he could not administer his criminal designs because of the Mughal annexation.
Akbar was tremendously influenced by the amazing moral supremacy of the Kashmiri Pandits. Abul Fazl records in Ain-i-Akbari, “ the most respectable class in this country (Kashmir) is that of the Pandits, who, notwithstanding their need for freedom from the bonds of tradition and custom, are the true worshippers of God. They do not loosen their tongue of calumny against those not of their faith, nor beg, nor importune. They employ themselves in planting fruit trees and are generally a source of inspiration for others”. The great Mughal Emperor abolished jazia and other unjust taxes imposed upon the Hindus. He also evinced great interest in the rehabilitation of the Pandits. Suka says, “ The Emperor announced that he would without delay reward those who would respect the Brahmans in Kashmir and that he would instantly pull down the houses of those who would demand the annual tribute from them.” The greatness of Akbar lies in his magnificent and fascinating policy of religious tolerance. Jahangir and Shah Jahan were not so tolerant. But their religious enthusiasm cannot be termed as fanatic. During this period, the Brahmans could perform their religious ceremonies after paying some tribute. But the whole scenario changed with the accession of Aurangzeb to the throne. With his bigoted fanatic and dogmatic approach, the Kashmiri Pandits were once again made vulnerable. Iftkar Khan, the Mughal governor of Kashmir during the reign of Aurangzeb, brutally tyrannized over the Brahmans to such an extent that they approached Guru Teg Bhahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru, at Anandpur in Punjab and solicited his personal intervention with the Emperor. This ultimately led to the Guru’s martyrdom and made Guru Gobid Singh to create the Khalsa to fight the oppressors . Muzaffer Khan, Nassar Khan and Ibrahim Khan were other governors of Aurangzeb who ferociously terrorized the Kashmiri Pandits. These celebrated scapegoats were once again forced to migrate from the land of their origin. It was the fourth disastrous mass exodus of the Aryan Saraswat Brahmans from Kashmir.
During the rule of later Mughals, Kashmir witnessed the outbreak of the worst kind of religious intolerance. In AD 1720, Mullah Abdul Nabi, also called Muhat Khan, a non-resident Kashmiri Muslim, was appointed as Shaikhul Islam . In order to assert his religious authority, he asked the Deputy Governor, Mir Ahmed Khan , to start a campaign of persecution of the Kafirs (infidels) – as the Kashmiri Pandits were called. In order to satisfy his satanic ego, the Mulla issued six commandments:
No Hindu should ride a horse, nor should a Hindu wear a shoe;
That they should not wear Jama (Mughal costume);
That they should move bare arms;
That they should not visit any garden;
That they should not have tilak mark on their foreheads;
That their children should not receive any education.
But Ahmed Khan refused to execute the mischievous decree. The Mullah then excited his followers against the Kashmiri Pandits. He established his seat in a mosque, assumed the duties of the administrator under the title of Dindar Khan and let loose the reign of terror. The Hindus were wickedly tormented, their houses burnt and property looted. Hundreds of Brahmans were killed, prostrated, maimed and humiliated. They began to run away in large numbers and hide themselves in mountainous terrain. This was the fifth dreadful mass exodus of the legendary Kashmiri Pandits from their mystic motherland. Those who remained behind lived in the most horrific and terrible conditions generated by the Mullah and his gang. But soon he was assassinated by his rivals and his son, Sharif-ud-Din, become the new Shaikhul-Islam. The son improved upon the brutal methods of his father and inflicted most barbaric, cruel and inhuman tortures upon the vulnerable Brahmans. The plight of the Kashmiri Pandits during this period became tremendously miserable and tragic.
The Afghan rule in Kashmir (AD 1753-1819) was a period of cruelty, homicide and anarchy. W.R. Lawrence calls it the “reign of brutal tyranny.” The barbarous Afghans employed every wild, inhuman, primitive, ferocious, cruel and brutal method to suppress the Kashmiri Brahmans. A pitcher filled with ordure was placed on the head of a Pandit and stones were pelt on it, till it broke and the unfortunate Brahman become wet with filth. Their brutality and atrocity crossed the extreme limits when Hindus were tied up in grass sacks, two and two, and drowned in the Dal Lake. The victimized Hindu were forced to flee the country or were killed or converted to Islam. There was sixth horrible mass exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits, to far away places like Delhi, Allahabad, etc. Many covered the long distances on foot.
Hindu parents destroyed the beauty of their daughters by shaving their heads or cutting their noses and ears to save them from degradation. Any Muslim could jump on the back of a Pandit and take a ride. Mir Hazar – an Afghan governor, used leather bags instead of grass sacks for the drowning of Brahmans. Turbans and shoes were forbidden for them. The Saraswat Brahmans of Kashmir were also forced to grow beards and tilak was interdicted. The Afghans are now only remembered for their barbarity, brutality, ferocity, tyranny and cruelty. They thought no more of cutting of heads than of plucking a flower.
The Shahmirs, Chaks, Mughals and homicidal Afghans tore the fabric of society in Kashmir and left deep scars on it. When the Afghan oppression became intolerable, the Pandits turned with hope to the rising power of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. But they were suspected. The Afghan governor, Azim Khan, confiscated their jagirs and imposed jazia on them. Eminent Pandits were brutally killed, humiliated and their authority was snatched. Nur Shah Diwani – a cruel Muslim official who was in charge of revenue collection, hatched a conspiracy in league with Azim Khan to eliminate the distinguished Kashmiri Brahmans. But this evil manoeuvre was exposed and a galaxy of Pandits saved. Pandit Sahajram, the Diwan, played a prominent role in the rescue operation.
Azim Khan had appointed Sukhram Safaya, Mirza Pandit and Birbal Dhar as revenue collectors. Birbal Dhar could not collect the required amount due to failure of crops. The atrocious Afghan governor browbeated Pandit Birbal to make the payment of one lac rupees. Rowdy and boisterous soldiers were send to threaten him and other Pandits. Sensing the Afghan tsunami, distinguished Kashmiri Pandits called a backstairs meeting in which it was resolved to invite Ranjit Singh for the conquest of Kashmir and salvation of the Aryan Saraswat Brahmans. Accordingly Birbal Dhar and his minor son, Raja Kak Dhar, secretly left for Lahore with a petition signed by the prominent Kashmiri Pandits through which an invitation was extended to Ranjit Singh to take over the Valley. When Azim Khan came to know about these developments, he sent his soldiers to nab Birbal Dhar and teach him a lesson. But when these bandits met with no success, the cruel governor turned his guns towards the wife and daughter-in-law of Birbal Dhar . Both the ladies had taken shelter in the house of a trustworthy Muslim, Qadus Gojwari. Azim Khan asked Pandit Basa Kak to hunt down the innocent ladies. Basa Kak knew about the retreat of ladies but did not disclose it even after monstrous tortures and oppressive penalties. At last his abdomen was ripped open in the most barbarous manner and the dead body discredited – the most unfortunate and brutal crime against humanity in the civilized world. The poor ladies were also captured . Birbal Dhar’s wife committed suicide by swallowing a piece of diamond. The younger lady was violently converted to Islam and handed over to an Afghan noble, who carried her to Kabul.
Nervous to the marrow of his bones and crazy with rage, Azim Khan tormented all those Kashmiri Brahmans whom he suspected to be in league with Birbal Dhar. Prominent Pandits were detained in a concentration camp at Nishat Garden and ferociously tortured. But on learning about the Sikh advances towards Kashmir, he lost all nerve and solicited instruction from Pandit Sahajram Dhar. The illustrious Pandit advised him to sent off his ladies folk to Kabul. It was the only way to save them from the ignominious treatment. Sahajram himself escorted the ladies to Kabul and saved them from disastrous shame. Azim Khan himself ran away from the Valley, leaving the administration into the hands of his brother, Jabbar Khan. However, atrocious Afghans were crushed and the Sikhs annexed Kashmir. Some extremist Sikhs, including Phul Singh, endeavoured to knock down the mosque of Shah Hamadan. But celebrated Birbal Dhar, at a considerable risk to his own life, made them desist from this action. According to GMD Sufi, “ It is to the lasting credit of Birbal Dhar that when a deputation of Muslims headed by Sayyid Hasan Shah Qadiri Khanyari approached him to dissuade the Sikhs from the destruction of the Khanqah, he moved in the matter, used his influence and saved this historical structure from vandalism.” It reveals the true personality and character of a distinguished Kashmiri Pandit.
During the Sikh rule in Kashmir, AD 1819-1846, the celebrated Pandits reclaimed their past glory and magnificence. They claimed back the prominent places of trust and honour. Cow slaughter was banned, temples renovated and the earlier wrongs rectified. The legendary Kashmiri Pandits received a healing touch after centuries of barbarity, ferocity and tyranny. But by the time the Sikhs conquered Kashmir in AD 1819, about nine-tenths of the population had been converted to Islam. Out of the 10% Hindu population, a large number had migrated to the Punjab and other provinces. The Pandits in general belonged to the middle class while the upper and lower classes were dominated by the Muslims.
The Valley of Kashmir had been ceded by the Sikhs to the British in lieu of indemnity imposed on the Lahore Durbar. The British made it over to Maharaja Gulab Singh on March 16, 1846, for a sum of seventy-five lacs of rupees. In this way, the territory and people of Kashmir were virtually sold to Gulab Singh by the British. Thus began the Dogra rule in Kashmir. The present Jammu & Kashmir State was born.The creation of the Jammu and Kashmir State in 1846, through the Treaty of Amritsar, was a master-stroke of British diplomacy in Asia. No doubt, Kashmir never became a past of the British Indian domain, but the British allowed only minimum operational freedom to the Dogra rulers. In fact, the British created a buffer state of Jammu and Kashmir under the title of a “Sovereign State”, to keep Russia at a distance from British India and to counter the Czarist “menance” in Central Asia.In the middle of the 19th century, the growing menace of Russian expansion in Central Asia posed a direct threat to the security of British domain in India. So there was need to create a buffer between the two rivals in Asia. Kashmir, like Afghanistan, served the purpose. Installation of a British Commissioner in Ladakh in 1847-48 was a prelude to the forceful perpetuation of British imperialist policy in Kashmir. The British managed their Kashmir policy with extraordinary caution and subtle diplomacy.History of Kashmir in the second half of the 19th century should be studied in the backdrop of Anglo-Russian rivalry in Central Asia. Any move on the Central Asian chessboard had its direct impact on Kashmir. The policies of the British in Kashmir were designed to fit in the scheme of their “frontier policy” in Central Asia.In 1885, the first British Resident was appointed in Kashmir. With this statrted the active British intervention in Jammu and Kashmir State. Creation of Gilgit Agency, subjugation of Chitral, establishment of a Council and finally partial deposition of Maharaja Partap Singh in 1889 was the completion of British imperialist strange-hold over Kashmir. This was managed by the British through their successive Residents in Kashmir.
With the formation of Jammu and Kashmir State; and, establishment of the Dogra rule, Kashmiri Pandits were imperceptibly elbowed to the background. Administrators and officials were deputed from Jammu region. Though they enjoyed comprehensive.
This article has been written by Dr Satish Ganjoo
Our Martyr’s live forever………….
14 sep 1989-I was going towards Sureteng from Kraylar,Rainawari. It was a bright sunny Autumn day. There was a gentle ascend from Kralyar to Sureteng that I was ambling. I was lost in my own world of thoughts .Suddenly I was nudged by someone on my back. I looked back. It was Aslam. He looked jubilant. He was bubbling with excitement and Glee. Without my asking , He said emphatically, ”Tikalal taploo has been shot by militants”. In disbelief my first reaction was,”What!!!”
I have asked so many of my Muslim friends about the reason for killing Kashmiri Pandits .Instead of a logical answer, I have heard “n” number of times that it was a Phase and that every Muslim wanted to take up an AK-47 and wage a war with anyone, whom they considered agents of India.
Basharat Mir’s “curfewed nights” also reiterate what I had heard many times. He has written in his book that the Militants were idolized, worshipped and copied in every sense. However he has bowdlerized that killing of innocents like Kashmiri pundits was also copied by many. I have yet to come across a Kashmiri Muslim who has the remotest compunction of killing Kashmiri Pandits and driving them out of the valley .
When the Pakistani army in the disguise of “Kabailis” raided Kashmir in Oct 1947.They left a trail of blood. Muslims were pardoned except a few like “Sherwani”, who was an activist and a staunch supporter of Shiekh Mohammed Abdullah. But mostly “Kabailis” were after the Blood of Hindus and Sikhs and they killed them mercilessly.
I knew a lady who became a senile person, because of the gory killings she witnessed in Baramullah, while she was a young girl of 10 years or so. She saw her father axed to death in front of her eyes. She along with her family choose “Habba Kadal” as their new area of dwelling. In her early twenties she got married and had two sons and a loving and caring Husband. The macabre incident had not stopped haunting her and eventually she succumbed to her childhood memories and lost her mind. We know hundreds of such incidents. Everyone of us.
History repeated itself in 1989-90, the messengers of death in the garb of jihadis unleashed such a terror that an entire culture and mark of KP’s was wiped out from the valley of Kashmir. As before, muslims were condoned and Hindus were targeted.
In 1947, POK was annexed by Pakistan because the Muslims insidiously sided with Pakistan army just because they happened to follow a common religion. The same strategy was repeated in Kashmir in 1989-90.
When Aslam broke the news to me, I retracted my steps and rushed back to my home. My family already knew about the incident as someone had telephoned them. Many of my family members rushed to Chinkral Mohalla in Habba Kadal.I too went to pay my homage to the martyr in the evening. Hundreds of people had gathered there. I could see many lugubrious faces around me. There was anguish ,grief and anger in the eyes of mourners. The Pakistan backed militants could not break his spirit so they had annihilated him physically. But has the enemy of KP’s and India succeeded in annihilating him and our other martyrs?
The answer is a big “NO”
Though the incidents if 1989-90, killed tens of hundreds of KP’s,burnt down and damaged houses and religious places, raped KP women and virtually obliterated Hinduism from the valley, But it could not kill the spirit of the KP’s.
Martyrs like Sh. Tikalal taploo ,Ashok Kumar qazi,B.K.Ganjoo, P.N.Bhat ,Sarvanand premi and others , laid down their lives for all of us. Though they are not physically present but they are still alive and are fighting with our perpetrators in the form of our inspiration. And no defeat is final until we keep trying.
The battle is still on.
Today on 14th sep. we all pay our tributes to our martyrs who shall live forever in our spirits……
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