KP Holocaust Day!!! 19th January...

...the KP Holocaust Day!!!

“wohh shaam kuch ajeeb thee, yeh shaam bhi ajeeb hai

wohh kal bhi pass pass theyy, wohh aaj bhi kareeb hai”

Even 22 years from that catastrophic night of 19^th January 1990, I can not forget the weird eerie soul churning howl and chill of that night in Kashmir. And yet, even 19 years later Kashmir is as close and ingrained in our souls – as it was that day.

This will be one long post… much like the 20 long dark years my community has spent in a forced exile. As I sit here thinking of that night - a chill still runs down my spine.

The Past…

Kashmiriyat – if anything like that existed had been eroded and molested by the majority in the valley leading to total subjugation of the minority Pandits. Pandits were held to blame for everything – be it excess snowfall or failed crops – because centre/India was to be blamed for it and Pandits were Indians at heart. Everything was a ‘center ki chaal’ and what could be easier than hapless Pandits to blame… Pandits had just borne in 1986 the brunt of the muslim ire – when Dogra’s in Jammu resisted their attempt at installing a mosque inside the government secretariat in Jammu. The wounds of wrath and rampage unleashed on innocent Pandits in Anantnag, Wuyan, Wanpoh, Pulwama, Sopore, Badgam, Baramula in Feb 1986 were still fresh in 1989. The list of temples destroyed in that carnage against the Pandits will never be completely known…just a partial list can be found here. The deaths, rapes and forced conversion in that government supported wave of madness was intolerable for many Kashmiri Pandits.

Scarred by decades of abuse by the majority – Pandits witnessed a mini exodus from Anantnag district in 1986 – when scores of Pandit families left the valley – totally disgusted with their life as a Hindu minority in what was supposedly a Hindu India. Living as a minority in an Islamic shadow is not easy. This was the sixth recorded exodus of Hindus from in recent past – the 12^th overall.

The Build up…

Pakistan’s General Zia has been sulking and hurting after his failure in getting quick success with the Khalistan movement – and had been working on opening additional fronts against India – to keep alive the Pakistani national philosophy of a 1000-year war with India; a theory openly propounded ironically by his predecessor whom he got overthrown and killed. Irrespective of their political or social leanings, the Pakistani government and ISI have always had the same agenda against India – so change of rulers never really changed a policy. The 1000 year war Pakistan was waging was still on and General Zia only added another dimension to it with his Operation Topac – a covert Jihadi invasion of Kashmir.

And even the victims of this war admire the cunning perfection with which Pakistan managed to achieve it – while the Indian intelligence and political class was caught napping. Grapevine had it that Rajiv Gandhi, dogged by the Bofors controversy, had deployed IB to determine his chances of victory in a poll – rather than bother about what the cross border terror groups were planning.

ISI couldn’t have got it easier – they already had numerous terrorist training camps running for Khalistan insurgency and for the Afghan operations – they had little to do to get Kashmiri’s trained in handling Kalashnikovs, AK47s, grenades, IEDs, rocket launchers- words which sprang up in the Kashmiri lexicon suddenly in 1989 and became better known than “A for apple” to even the kids on the street. They got easy recruits – snaring the loosing MUF candidates (a political front for the Pakistan aided Jamat-e-Islami) and workers of the 1987 election. Even today it’s a hilarious reading when a Syed Salahudin – who was one of the loser’s in that election says that the rigging of those elections by National Conference (Farooq Abdullah’s party) in coalition with Congress(I) (led by Rajiv Gandhi) was the reason they got disillusioned and took to the gun. Was this the first election in the valley? No. Was this the first election which got (if it) rigged in the sub-continent? No. Was this the first time NC came to power? No. Was this the first time Farooq Abdullah became the Chief Minister? No. Was this the first time Sheikh Abdullah’s family – the same Sheikh whom Kashmiri Muslims were hailing as “Sher-i-Kashmir” just a few months ago – was ruling the state? No. Was this the first time a Jamat-e-Islami backed political formation was defeated? No. Then why the lame excuse…

If a failed or rigged election were to be the sole cause, then UP and Bihar would have been independent countries since 1947. This excuse is the just as lame as the other one – often used by Farooq Abdullah and other people when in power in the state, to get bigger and bigger doles from New Delhi; that Kashmiri’s are turning to terrorism because they are impoverished and unemployed – hence alienated. Dear – if Kashmiris are impoverished, then Kalahandi and Bastar don’t even exist on earth. If unemployment and economic backwardness is justification of a jehad – then the migrant Bihari and Oriya labourers – so omnipresent in all corners of India – should have been the most ferocious terrorists of the world.

Extremist Islamic wave…

A large mass of red-white chequered headscarf wearing mullah’s had invaded Kashmir in 1986-1988 already – Pandits only realized the plot later. These mullahs’ were non-Kashmiri’s and apparently came from a particular group of theological schools in UP – with a directive to ensure ingraining the extremist and intolerant version of Islam among Kashmiris…something alluded to by Salman Rushdie as well here.

And Oh boy!!! What a splendid job they did. Suddenly in 1988, the locals started speaking a different language altogether. Kafir, jihad, unIslamic – such terms became known prominently. I still remember the day at a century old premier Christian missionary run school in Srinagar – which had a green neck-tie as part of its uniform. A brigade of brainwashed senior students backed by some muslim teachers and armed with razors went around slashing these green tie’s from necks of students – just because ‘wearing a green tie was un-Islamic’ (Green being the colour of Islam). Students had started coming armed with special dresses on Friday – for Friday prayers and school practically didn’t run after lunch. The situation in offices was worse. Such weird flavour of Islam was showing up in the valley… growing in strength slowly in the mosques around the valley. The earlier rise and popularity of a fundamentalist political group “Muslim United Front” or MUF, was inline with this trend. Many of the loosing candidates from this group ended up in terror training camps in Pakistan later – becoming the early batch of terror proponents later like Syed Salaha-ud-Din, Javid Mir, Hamid Sheikh, Yasin Malik, Bitta Karate, Shabir Shah etc. Mercenary retirees from Afghan war and the Islamic insurgencies around Bosnia, Africa etc joined them later.

Aura of 1989

1989 – was the watershed year of sorts. For the valley and the world at large…

In China and in Europe, there was political upheaval marked by the end of Communism – and country after country the communist regimes were being overthrown. Anyone who saw television in that period was swamped with images of hundreds of thousands of people gathering in the streets and squares around Europe and winning a surprise victory over the regime… be it in Romania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria… The Berlin wall suddenly fell down in one huge massive push of sudden human revolt… the big and mighty USSR (deemed to be the strongest ally of India) was breaking into pieces, many of them becoming Islamic states. The other big entity in the game – China had been challenged by the might of the student movement as well – yet, Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 apart – the regime in China managed to come out unshaken.

ISI and their honcho’s in Kashmir – JKLF, Hizbul Mujahidin et al, had whipped up a feeling all over Kashmir that these were just the right signs. It was just the right time for freedom and Islamic rule in Kashmir as well. Just one big push was all that was needed for a “Nizam E Mustafa” and the rule of Koran to arrive in Kashmir. And as a build up towards the big push, the infidels/kafirs were to be exterminated. Pandits were the clearest target – since they were unlikely to join a movement aiming for Islamic rule (thereby ask for their own relegation to second class citizen status) and being Indians at heart, they wouldn’t support a demand for merger with Pakistan either. Hence, a wave of ethnic cleansing began.

Pandits were carefully selected out and killed in the most cold blooded fashion by the JKLF terrorists – Bitta Karatey alone owning up to a couple of dozen Pandit killings. Scores of Kashmiri Pandits – prominent or unknown – were killed all over the valley – just merely by branding them informers or traitors. And no one questioned them – not even those who today swear by Kashmiriyat; because this was all part of the operation towards the goal of Nizam-e-Mustafa. Teachers, poets, scholars, leaders, lawyers, nurses, peons, officers, shopkeepers – irrespective of logic were gunned down from close range – just because they were Hindus.

Terror groups resorted to publishing lists of people they intended to kill – called “hit-lists” in local Urdu dailies. A scan through the 1989-90 archives of ‘Aftab’, “Al Safa” and other local dailies would give an idea of how dogmatic the environment was. Posters erupted around the downtown asking Pandits to “raliv, chaliv ya galiv” – (join the movement, leave Kashmir or get killed). A minority which counts up to less than 5% share of the population had little hope of a fight. Honour and self-respect of the Pandits wouldn’t let us join the so-called movement – unless one was willing to convert to Islam. Otherwise why would a Pandit ask for Islamic rule – which in itself meant a wretched life Hindus faced in Pakistan or under Taliban. Slowly now, they were getting killed – and yet, there was no sign of any government intervention in 1989.

Ending 1989: At the end of 1989, an interesting turn of political events was also unfolding in the rest of India. Congress and Rajiv Gandhi lost elections – and a fragile coalition came to power. And this group wanted to prove its pseudo secular credentials to the Muslims of India…so a Kashmiri Muslim who till then had never held any position of authority in his own state was given the most important position in the central cabinet – Mufti Sayed became the Home Minister of India. His real cunning Islamic fundamentalist leanings were already known to the Kashmiri’s… he had been an active leader of the carnage against Pandits in 1986. Kashmiri’s felt they had broken into the bastion – their man was even in the control room now. His anti-Pandit politics came to fore again when he returned as the CM.

And the drama that followed was the right culmination 1989 needed. Abduction of Home minister’s daughter Rubiya Syed was staged and a weak centre yielded by releasing dreaded terrorists like Hamid Sheikh and Yasin Malik amongst others…

A mass frenzy of celebrations followed in the valley – with the released terrorists being openly carried around in the downtown in processions. Law and order were like a polar bear in Sahara - dead. A victory of sorts was declared. This was just a small test push yet – and it turned out so easy – just the way ISI and their honcho’s had been telling them…

A battle was won. The war couldn’t be difficult. The tone and behaviour of the common man on street suddenly changed – my friends were suddenly talking of Azadi and Islamic rule, the language was full of technical terms around guns and war. They suddenly knew how many rounds a AK47 could fire, how many bullets a magazine had, what response times a Kalashnikov was like. By now, surprise guerilla attacks, cross fires, grenade or bomb attacks in city, shootouts at government offices or army camps were common place and daily happenings. By now the kids could tell the sound of a Kalashnikov fire from the AK47, and predict the distance at which IED or a grenade attack must have happened from just the sound of it. Black-outs and bandhs were common events. Schools and colleges stayed more closed than open. Daring to switch on a light during a blackout promptly invited a shower of stones. There were few Pandit homes without shattered glass panes by end of 1989. We stopped replacing the broken ones after sometime, and instead got wire mesh installed on the out side of the windows. Examinations were getting disrupted… normal life was in chaos. Yet, government was asleep.

Jihad was in the air… merger with the wider Pan-Islamic world was just a few steps away. Veils and burkha’s suddenly became predominant common sight– in an otherwise fashion aware society. Hindu’s were getting marked out and standing apart. The belief that Pakistan would launch an offensive at the LOC and invade was overwhelming them, as well.

All this had left Pandits totally confused, clueless of the nefarious activities happening in covert and scared. I still remember the fear and chill the re-broadcast of serials like “Tamas” or news of riots in Bhagalpur on television would send among the Pandits – feeling like hapless pigeons in a cage full of cats. Most had no clue what was to befall them – just because they were Hindu and Indians at heart. Somewhere there was a hope that this was just a passing frenzy and things would be calm soon.

Events leading to that night…

January 1990… the political chaos all over Europe was still in its motions. After Rubiya Syed debacle, the government in New Delhi had proved how weak kneed it was to terrorism – giving birth to an image of India as a soft state – an weakness which Pakistan exploited right through IC814 hijack, Kargil war or attack on Parliament. At the state level, Farooq Abdullah was loosing control – he barely had any, given that he was away in UK taking care of his business and in-laws 3/4^th of his time. His political ally - Congress had been routed in the elections and Rajiv Gandhi was at his weakest ever. Farooq was seeing his chair rock each day – and knew he would be one of the recipients of the push – given that ISI and their honcho’s had whipped enough hatred against Sheikh Abdullah and his kith already – holding them to blame for the accession that they wanted to reverse.

Rumour mills were churning out weird stories each day. One night, it was a mass hysteria in Srinagar – when some mosques blared out warnings that they must immediately collect and horde as much drinking water as possible – because Indian government had ordered annihilation of all Kashmiri’s by poisoning of the water supply system. Preposterous and illogical that this may sound – the whole city was busy filling up water in even in the smallest cup and bowl in the house. Yeah!!! Pandits included… after all it was the same tap water everywhere. But did anyone question who caused this frenzy and spread this insane rumour – one dare not question.

Broadcasts from Radio-POK (what they call Azad Kashmir Radio) were interesting – there used to be more religious fervour and war-songs than news. And locals were hooked. Even Pandits regularly tuned in to know how worse it could get…

“Jago jago subaho hui, Khoon-e-shaheeda rang layaa, fateh ka parcham lehraya, jaago jaago subah hui…”

- a war song sung by non-Kashmiri singers of Muzaffarabad was one of the many war songs on air all the time. Soon these were also being played in mosques in the valley over mega-phones to incite passion for jihad. News reports from POK radio were the most hilarious though – one day you would be told that a 1000 Indian soldiers were buried alive by the valiant Islamic mujahideen, or that Srinagar was being readied for a JKLF to take the oath of power, or that Pakistani backed terrorists had captured the radio and TV centers (something seen in European revolutions through 1989) or that JKLF and Hizb were just about to march onto Delhi. Rhetoric like, people of Pakistan will offer next Friday prayer in Id Gah in Srinagar and the week after that in Jama Masjid in Delhi was common speech on those waves. And the masses were lapping it up in Kashmir… stepping deeper into a mass hysteria.

The presence of security forces was still far and few. One could see only 2-3 pickets yet – around Residency road and Lal Chowk areas, and guarding Secretariat and few other important government landmarks. Otherwise, the security presence in downtown or the civil lines was absent. Few sensitive areas like Maisuma, Gawkadal and areas in downtown had witnessed clashes and guerilla attacks on the pickets CRPF tried to set up.

The lack of law and order was getting questioned and there was clear evidence that Farooq was not interested or capable of controlling the situation. How could he anyway, given that he barely was present in the country. New Delhi wanted to soothe the emotions of the people of valley – and decided to recall Jagmohan Malhotra as the governor of J&K.

Despite what Kashmiri Muslims today say about Jagmohan – anyone true to his soul who lived in Kashmir during his earlier tenure would not be able to deny that his period of Governor’s rule in the state was the best time ever people had seen – from an administrative point of view. Jagmohan had run the state till just sometime back when the GM Shah government died after the 1986 carnages. People, Kashmiri muslims worth their pinch of salt would vouch for this – locals regarded it the best run government they had ever seen. There was amazing infrastructural development in such quick time, government machinery ran like clockwork, officials were on their toes, he himself would meet public every day and address issues directly, he had reached out to more people than all other politicians earlier. And he wasn’t even a politician then. He was a governor – an able administrator. When he got the state back to a time for elections – people were openly asking if there could be a way for Jagmohan to become the Chief Minister. Those Kashmiri’s who disbelieve this today, go and ask your father to tell you what it was like. (Of course, he couldn’t contest election or become Chief Minister – because of Article 370). Even Farooq Abdullah famously requested him for his guidance, rebuke and direction if he were to go wrong, admiring the way he had run the state – and cashing in on the admiration people had for him.

The central government probably thought that Jagmohan’s popularity with the masses and his reputation would help soothe the hysteria in the valley and things would settle down. But Farooq got alarmed – he knew his inefficiency would get exposed now. In Delhi, Rajiv was playing the usual sick minded opposition – he had to oppose appointment. Farooq and Rajiv – allies in politics at this time –were hoping that VP Singh would invoke Article 365 and dismiss his government. But they didn’t dismiss the Farooq government, only sent in a new Governor. Farooq decided to use this as an honorable exit. Farooq raised a hue and cry over why Jagmohan was being sent back to the state as a Governor without his permission and sent in his resignation and dissolution of the assembly as a protest. Hands washed off!!! He announced his decision to quit the afternoon of January 19^th 1990 – when Jagmohan was still in Delhi and yet to take charge of his gubernatorial duties. The state was headless for a while…till Jagmohan arrived later on 20^th-21^st and took charge. But in between – the night of 19^th January was a night of horror…and a night which changed a lot of things in the valley.

That night…19^th January 1990

Farooq’s decision to quit had left the state in confusion… His party cadre’s were restless and chaotic. The ISI’ honchos were alarmed. They feared Jagmohan’s return would send the people back many steps – he being the efficient administrator people had already known him to be and his goodwill with the masses. The mosques all over the valley became hyper active that night. Suddenly there were slogans and frenzied songs blaring from all mosques in the valley. Rumours of an Arab political delegation being in Srinagar to take a look at the situation was around. It was made believe that if the voice of dissent was made known to the Arab delegation – they would do wonders (don’t know how). But no one knew what/where this so-called delegation was. So simultaneous religious propaganda, sloganeering and anti-India chants ranted through the valley all night – blaring aloud from the loud-speakers of mosque; loud-speakers which are meant otherwise for getting the call prayers heard. Slogans like

“Islam khatre’ mein hai” (Islam is in danger),

“Aes gacche’ Pakistan, Batav ros’ te’ batnev saan” (we want Kashmir – without Pandit men, but with their womenfolk)

“Mujahid’on aage bhado” (Warriors of allah – move ahead)

“Yahan kya chalega – Nizam E Mustafa” (What will rule Kashmir – Rule of Allah)

"Kashmir mein agar rehna hai, Allah-o-Akbar kehna hai" (Only those who believe in Allah -(only Muslims) can live in Kashmir)

“Hum kya chahte, Azadi” (we want freedom)

“La ilah Illalah – Pakistan banega Insalaah” (Praise to God! Kashmir will be Pakistan)

“Indian dogs – get out”

“Battav ya raliv, chaliv nate’ galiv” (O Pandits – either join us, flee or die)

…and many more.

It was a night of chaos and madness. The scary environment those eerie slogans echoing from frentic mobs created throughout the night can not be explained - one had to live that trauma to know it. Pandits were taken by shock by this sudden event – given that they had no clue on why and what was happening and neither did they know what rumours and discussions were on inside the mosques – till much later. Pandits, particularly those in the Jamat-e-Islami stronghold areas of downtown were shrunken by fear, like the animals sunken in their holes when a pack of tigers is on prowl. The sound of loudspeaker sloganeering was the most scary one – each household too scared to even switch on their lights.

Around before mid-night, groups of people started streaming through the lanes and bylanes, streets and nooks of the city – marching towards the Lal Chowk area – shouting usual slogans. At several places, the mosques ordered Hindu’s to move out of their homes and join the march as well. They were planning to assemble in Lal Chowk in large numbers – maybe a crowd of 200,000 to 300,000 people and then attack and capture the AIR Radio station and Doordarshan – much like the revolutions in Europe they had been watching over TV through 1989…and thus declare independence. They believed Pakistan would be launching an offensive immediately and permanence of the situation would be sealed. The crowds in such large numbers – reportedly more than 50,000 people gathered in the city centre and attacked the few police pickets and CRPF booths erected there. There were armed terrorists in the crowds firing celebration shots in the air. A shootout was launched on security personnel in Lal chowk and Gawkadal – and no wonder when there is a crowd of thousands; quite a few lives were lost. Thankfully the crowds got dispersed sometime in the night.

There was no chance of recovery thereon.

The ISI honcho’s – disappointed with the failure of the human wave in achieving the ‘one push’ were left directionless. Jagmohan was in city next day and went on television appealing to the general masses to use common sense and restrain. I remember his words like “I have not come here to govern or rule, I have come here to work as a nursing orderly to serve you, to help heal the wounds you have and be your servant”… In the days that followed Jagmohan in his usual way went about meeting people in open darbars in the valley – even though the secretariat was in Jammu. Hundreds of muslims were turning up to meet him with petitions and requests for solving their issues – given that they knew this was one man who knew what a common man’s problem were and knew how to govern.

And the Exodus…

ISI and their honchos were in a panic – they went about increasing their attacks on Pandits and published more hit-lists, killing Pandits all over the valley everyday. Muslim neighbours came to us requesting us to leave the valley till was safe to come back, since they felt they would not be able to protect even close friends and neighbours –were an armed group of terrorists to show up at their neighbours doorstep. Posters threatening Pandits of dire consequences and directing them to leave the valley were showing up on doors and outside temples. Pandits were in a shocked state – frustrated that the government was unable to stop their massacre. Pandits had no option but to leave the valley – all believing temporarily – for safer areas. Most Pandits left their homes set, stocked and ready – expecting to return just a few weeks later once things were calmer – not knowing the return was not likely for decades. Pandits left in trucks, buses, tempo’s whatever means they could find…from villages and nooks of the valley – towards Jammu. Jammu started witnessing a sudden influx of Pandits which it was not ready for. Being winter, the city was already overburdened with the durbar-move population. A sudden influx of thousands of Kashmiri refugees was not something this much smaller city could stand up to. Thousands of Pandits lived in dharamsalaa’s, halls, abandoned buildings, temples, stadiums, retiring rooms of bus stands for weeks. It was turning into a humanitarian problem of another kind for Jagmohan now – given that resentment was brewing in Jammu as well. He set up tented refugee camps for Pandits outside the city of Jammu – to avoid this situation – refugee camps which were to become permanent homes for thousands even till today.

Pakdo padko - Jagmohan ko pakdo…

ISI and their honcho’s saw this as a good opportunity to discredit Jagmohan’s efforts in the valley. Had they not done it quickly enough, the mass connect Jagmohan was re-establishing with Muslims would have killed their efforts totally. Word was spread that Jagmohan had ordered the firing at the crowds in Lal Chowk and Gaw Kadal on 19^th Jan night – little logic was used to understand that he was not the governor at that moment. It was officers of Farooq’s regime who were still officiating. Rumours were spread in the valley that Jagmohan has gone to Pandits and asked them to leave the valley – so that he could conduct massive military operations killing all muslims, and they could return once they operation was over. This canard was repeated daily over and over again… and as they say, repeat a lie a thousand times and many believe it’s a truth. That’s the truth a Kashmiri muslim believes today.

Few used their logic – there existed no Pandit leadership at that time (not even now) – where Jagmohan could have conveyed this message to. Did Jagmohan go around visiting Pandit homes – telling them this secret plan. Pandits were spread few and far in between all over the valley. Was it Jagmohan who was pasting those posters at our doorsteps in the night? Was it Jagmohan who killed poets, teachers, social workers, nurses selectively? Did he go around branding Pandits as traitors and informers, and writing up those hit-lists? Did he know Kashmiri language enough to coin and shout those slogans – “raliv chaliv ya galiv”, “Aes gacche’ Kasheer, Batav ros’ te’ batnev saan”. Did Jagmohan go around shooting down Tikka Lal Taploo, Pt. Sarwanand Premi or Lassa Koul or the hundreds of other Pandits… did he go around stoning Pandit homes…? Did he go around gouging the eyes from Premi's dead body and cutting body of other victims on a bandsaw mill? Was Bitta Karatey trained and sent by Jagmohan?

If he really told Pandits to leave – I have a big grudge against him for not coming to my home and telling this to my family.

Rumour mongering is a strong Kashmiri trait – and this is the longest and strongest one ever. Ask a kid in valley today who Pandits are – a kid born in late 80’s or early 90’s… someone who has not seen or known a Pandit or doesn’t know what happened then – and you are likely to hear an answer like “Pandits are kafirs/infidels – informers and enemy of muslims who were taken out of Kashmir by Jagmohan”. Yeah… and Islam is the longest living religion…in existence since pre-human era.

Another interesting fact of late January 1990. We lived in the civil lines area of Jawahar Nagar (now renamed to something like Islampur or so), and happened to have 4-5 sikh families in our close neighbourhood. When family was in dilemma about the exodus – they would come to consult and confer on what to do as well. We seldom talked this to other Pandits – as much as to them. Yet suddenly one day this stopped. Turns out that Simaranjit Singh Mann had arrived in the valley – and met with the Jamat-e-Islami leadership and other ISI backed groups. Khalistani terrorists were afterall of same parentage. Mann had clearly threatened to retaliate against Muslims in other parts of India – and choke their supply lines via Punjab if even one Sikh was touched. Luckily for them, they had not killed any Sikhs either so far - ISI wouldn’t have let them either. Sikh community controlled the trucking business as well in the valley – something which was the economic life line of the massive horticulture and handicraft industry in the valley. Mann was able to broke security for the Sikh’s in the valley – but Pandits were parentless refugee’s…

Sea of Souls in Exile

Without a God-father in the otherwise 80% hindu India – Pandits got condemned to a life in Exile, becoming refugee’s in their own country. Refugees whom the government too refuses to acknowledge and accept – and hence they labeled Pandits as “Kashmiri Migrants”. Migrants – what does that mean? Pandits were not habitual travelers nor nomads by custom, nor were we a specie of seasonal migratory birds.

In hindsight, Pandits did have a hope that the Hindu’s of India would raise a voice for them. A mistaken belief no doubt…

Pandits – were just one thing – 700,000 unwanted Hindu’s in a supposedly Hindu country…refugee’s in their own land. Exiles’ from their own homeland. Aboriginals evicted from their roots…

Ami pana so'dras nAvi ches lamAn
Kati bozi Day myon meyti diyi tAr
Ameyn tAkeyn poniy zan shemAn
Zuv chum bramAn gara gatshaha.

-Lal Ded (14th century Kashmiri Saint and Poetess)

With a rope of loose-spun thread am I towing
my boat upon the sea.
Would that God heard my prayer
and brought me safe across!
Like water in cups of unbaked clay
I run to waste.
Would God I were to reach my home!

JAMMU DECLARATION - adopted at "1st - All India Kashmiri Pandit Women’s Conference”

KASHMIRA VAHINI

HQR- Jammu

Mb: - 9906001813, 9419140619, 0191-2532244

E-mail:- (1) kashmiravahiniheadquarters@gmail.com

(2) Kashmiravaahini@gmail.com

Ref: - KV/Media/55 DT: - 26-12-2010

Press Release

The first “All India Kashmiri Pandit Women’s Conference” organized by Kashmira Vahini was held today on 26-12-2010 in Abhinav Theatre, Jammu where in unanimously Jammu Declaration was adopted by the delegates of the conference which is as under for necessary publication in your papers:-

Kashmira Vahini

1^st All India Kashmiri Pandit Women Conference

26^th December 2010

Jammu.

JAMMU DECLARATION

Kashmir, the land of Kashyap, abode of sages, fountain head of knowledge and glorious traditions imbibes special pride in its original inhabitants. With its more than 5000 years rich history, Kashmir has been far ahead of its times in terms of

Creating aesthetics, producing institutions of excellence or granting equality to all sections of

society particularly to usually suppressed women class. The land described as the envy of Gods saw empowerment of women even in pre-historical times. Kashmir is proud to have produced Queen Yashovati, a contemporary of Lord Krishna and, perhaps, the first women monarch in the entire sub-continent. The glorious precedents established by Queen Yashovati continued till the time of Queen Kota Rani, whose death in 1339 AD brought end to the Hindu rule in Kashmir. This proved to be beginning of an unparalleled odyssey of atrocities, tyranny, persecution and

subjugation of peace loving Kashmiri Pandit community. This also started Kashmiri Pandit women’s great saga of sacrifices, endurance, perseverance, conservation and fortitude.

The tribulations of the Kashmiri Pandit women, which started with the demise of Queen Kota Rani continued thereafter and assumed more challenging proportions during the community’s latest and seventh exodus from its ancestral homeland. Kashmiri Pandits have gloriously survived the atrocities, homelessness and exodus of seven exiles. The entire credit for this survival must be conferred upon the grit, determination and resilience of Kashmiri Pandit women.

1^st All India Kashmiri Pandit Women Conference,

Proudly Recognizes and Hails the Kashmiri Pandit Women for their,

1. Contribution in preserving the socio-cultural legacy of the Kashmiri Pandit community in Kashmir despite centuries of subjugation, humiliations and atrocities committed against them.
2. Successfully safeguarding the prestige and dignity of the community against all odds normally confronted in similar situations of forced exile and inhospitable conditions.
3. Being the beacons as well as instruments of social reconstruction by exemplary acts of preserving the rich socio-cultural legacy of the community along with its unique rituals and religious practices.
4. Conquering the servitude of forced migration, sacrificing the normal human pleasures, transcending the awkwardness and inconvenience of living along
5. With three generations in an 8X6 tattered tents and surviving the ordeal with pride and dignity intact.
6. Being the epitome of love, compassion, diligence and far sightedness.
7. Upholding the community’s traditional inclination towards the pursuit of knowledge and education and adopting an uncompromising attitude while ensuring the children receive best of education.

1^st All India Kashmiri Pandit Women Conference, Strongly Condemns:-

1. Agents and practitioners of religious bigotry who blatantly and against all principles of humanity perpetrated genocide on an entire peaceful minority.
2. All jihadi terrorists for unleashing a barbaric drive of ethnically cleansing a religious minority only on the basis of faith.
3. The perpetrators of faith driven terrorism who assiduously forced extreme physical torture, violation of human dignity and sensitivity; and victimization of innocents on a hapless community.
4. Cowardly silence of a majority in Kashmir who through their deliberate quietness connived with the actors of the sordid macabre.
5. Successive governments in Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir for being silent spectators to the dastardly drama of extermination, rape of women, gruesome torture of human life and physical intimidation of Kashmiri Pandit community in Kashmir.
6. Both governments in Delhi as well as Jammu and Kashmir for maintaining a criminal silence, disgraceful apathy and reprehensible neglect of Kashmiri Pandit community.
7. Human Rights bodies and civil societies for maintaining a stoic silence on the sufferings of displaced Kashmiri Pandit community.
8. National Commission for Women for being perpetually blind to the atrocities committed upon Kashmiri Pandit women and keeping silence on the official apathy and neglect of the Kashmiri Pandit women’s plight.
9. Religious fundamentalists for trying to wipe out symbols and edifices of Kashmiri Pandits’ religo-cultural legacy through wholesale destructions of their temples, cultural centers, educational institutions, literary and academic manuscripts and all ciphers of their existence in Kashmir.
10. All marauders for plundering the left over properties of displaced Kashmiri Pandits and perpetuating circumstances for mass scale distress sale.
11. All aspirants of a theocratic status and conniving state apparatus for inflicting a cultural genocide on the displaced community by changing the historical names of Hindu temples, sacred hills and ancient villages.
12. Section of prejudiced and biased intellectual class for their criminal conspiracy of distorting the history of Kashmir and undermining or usurping the contribution of Kashmiri Pandits towards the spirituality, literature, fine arts, aesthetics etc.
13. Conspirators and their cohorts in civil society and state’s politico-administrative apparatus for illegal sale of Kashmiri Pandit temples, cremation grounds, community properties, educational and cultural centers.

1^st All India Kashmiri Pandit Women Conference appreciates the ongoing struggle of the community necessitated by the unfortunate circumstances forced upon the community and recognizes the utmost need for building appropriate responses for ensuring its survival in exile. The conference also recognizes the fact of Kashmiri Pandits being a socially conscious, emancipated, liberal, non-orthodox and progressive society. The conference is absolutely conscious of the current realities and after having deliberated over the issues and challenges confronting the community,

1^st All India Kashmiri Pandit Women Conference unanimously resolves to appeal to the displaced Kashmiri Pandits worldwide to,

1. Actively reconsider the existing numerical strength of the community in terms of socio-political, economic and survival strengths.
2. Seriously consider the implications of the current reproductive trends in the community and aggressively pursue the multiplication of community’s progeny by reverting to not so old norm of having at least three children per family.
3. Restrict the diminishing of numbers in the community by preserving its genetic pool and encouraging only the intra-community matrimonial alliances between the youth.
4. Encourage whatever new social circles that the community has now from inter-community alliances to form a lasting support structure in our struggle in exile.
5. Assiduously fight the newly acquired social aberrations in the community like high divorce rate, vulgar display of wealth in marriages, introduction of easily avoidable and unwanted ostentatious rituals in societal obligations.
6. Retain community’s distinct ethno-religious identity by observing and promoting its austere social customs, special rituals and unique religious practices.
7. Ensure no member of the community remains without obtaining the state subject certificate.

1^st All India Kashmiri Pandit Women Conference appreciates the historical role played by Kashmiri Pandit women in the evolution of the community to its present state of dynamism, pragmatism and resilience. It also recognizes the imperative of the displaced Kashmiri Pandit women to stand shoulder to shoulder with men in the struggle for obtaining justice and legitimate rights for the community in Exile.

1^st All India Kashmiri Pandit Women Conference, therefore, DECLARES that the displaced Kashmiri Pandit women will consolidate themselves into a potent force of Goddess Kashmira Devi and,

1. Untiringly work for preserving the distinct geo-ethnic identity of Kashmiri Pandit community by striving for having a separate homeland of its own.
2. Support the community’s mainstream political demand for a separate homeland with Union Territory status in North and East of Kashmir as envisaged in the historic Margdarshan resolution of 1991.
3. Aggressively spread the exile consciousness around the world.
4. Consolidate a global data bank of Kashmiri Pandit women.
5. Create awareness about the exemplary contribution of Kashmiri Pandit women towards politics, religion, philosophy, mysticism, spirituality, science, literature, art, education, architecture and performing arts etc.
6. Hold an annual convention of displaced Kashmiri Pandit Women to assess the progress of existing goals
7. Recognition of a Kashmiri Pandit Women in any field by conferring upon her the prestigious ‘VITASTA SUKANYA SAMMAN’.
8. Establishing symbols of Kashmiri Pandit identity in exile by every year celebrating Vitasta’s birthday (Vyeth Truvah) as Kashmir Diwas and making it a global movement.
9. Paying special attention to the needs of old and infirm of the community by involving the global Kashmiri Pandit community in creating adequate infrastructure in Jammu for establishing an old age home in Jammu.
10. Fight the highly discriminatory and draconian conditions attached to the employment package for the displaced youth as these unconstitutional strings amount to the exploitation of the sufferings, miseries and helplessness of the unemployed youth of the community.
11. Campaign for increase in the number of jobs earmarked for the displaced community which will be commensurate with the number of unemployed persons and also the number of Kashmir Pandits who have attained superannuation in last 21 years.
12. Seek alliances with the like minded groups in the state and elsewhere for creating pressure groups for obtaining justice for the community.

Adopted, this the 26^th of December 2010, by the 1^st All India Kashmiri Pandit Conference in Jammu.

Media Secretary

(Meenakshi)

“1st All India Kashmiri Pandit Women Conference” - Press Release

KASHMIRA VAHINI

HQR- JAMMU

Mb: - 9906001813, 9419140619, 0191-2532244

E-mail:-(1) kashmiravahiniheadquarters@gmail.com

(2) Kashmiravaahini@gmail.com

Ref: - KV/Media/54 DT: - 26-12-2010

Press Release

“1^st All India Kashmiri Pandit Women Conference” organised by Kashmira Vahini was held today on 26-12-2010 in Abhinav Theatre, Jammu. The conference was attended by large number of Kashmiri Pandit women delegates from length and breadth of the country.

The conference opened with Mangla Charan - sharda Vandana by the students of S L Memorial Model High school, Bye Pass, Santra Morh; hoisting of flag and Shankh Naad. The highlight of the opening session was the release of Kashmira Devi painting of Virji Sumbly by eminent artist Sh. Gokal Dembi, conferring Vitasta Sukanya Samman on Ms Asha Zaroo renowned Kashmiri theatre personality for her four decades of immense contribution to Kashmiri theatre, radio and television. The award has been instituted by Kashmira Vahini in recognition of the excellence in different fields by Kashmiri Pandit Women. Kirti Kalla patron KV invited the prominent KP saints to the stage for Deep Prajwalan.

The first session of the conference was graced by Dr. Ved Kumari Ghai as a chief guest. The other distinguished speakers who spoke on the occasion were Dr. Khema Kaul, Kalyani Kaul and Rama Shah. Smt Sunita Santoshi, General Secretary Kashmira Vahini presented the welcome address and organizational report of Kashmira Vahini to delegates present in the conference. Dr. Khema Kaul spokesperson of Kashmira Vahini on this occasion presented a paper highlighting the challenges Kashmiri Pandit Women are facing in exile and responses to these challenges on social, political and cultural fronts. Kalyani Kaul vice president Oracle finance in her speech emphasized on the KP women to pool in all their resources for collective effort in defeating forces inimical to the interests of KP community. Rama Shah Chairperson Kashmira Vahini threw light on the Cultural Genocide unleashed against KP community and the role of KP women to resist this onslaught and majors to reverse the process of this cultural genocide. Shri B.S.Salathia was felicitated on the occasion for being elected as President Jammu Bar Association.

Dr. Ved Kumari Ghai highly appreciated convening first ever “All India KP Women conference” where by various aspects of socio-cultural and political dimensions of the Kashmiri Pandit community especially KP women were highlighted.

Smt Sarla Tickoo from Varanasi renowned sport promoter opened the Chitra Darpan, a photo exhibition depicting Kashmiri Pandit women at a glance.

The second session of the conference was presided over by Dr. Agnishekhar convener Panun Kashmir. The other distinguished speakers who spoke on the occasion were Dr. Usha Dhar, Dr. Phoola Kaul and Dr. Aruna Sharma. Dr. Agnishekhar in his address exposed the nefarious and reprehensible designs of covertly mixing return of Kashmir Pandit with belatedly granted Employment Package. This move shall be fought and resisted tooth and nail. He also cautioned those representatives of the community who do appear hand-in-glove with such elements.

Dr. Phoola Kaul in her address pointed towards challenges facing in exile to maintain a distinct religo-cultural identity. Dr.Bawana Raina presented a paper where in the health trauma suffered by KP women in particular like stress diabetes and skin ailments, hyper-tension, reproductive problems and neuro-psychic related disorders were bane of exile and exodus.

Dr. Aruna Sharma, a prominent Dogri & Hindi poet in her presentation mentioned about the cultural and social exchanges and impacts the KP women left on Dogri women and vice-versa. The session concluded with unanimously passing of Jammu Declaration. Smt Sudesha program coordinator presented vote of thanks.

Conference concluded with an enthralling culture bonanza Thok-Thok a poetic tribute by Dr. Sudhir Mahajan to late Arjan Dev Majboor was highlight of the session. The other highlights of the session were Udaas Satisar a theatrical performance by J K Bezan and musical concert by famous music director Kuldeep Saproo. Artists who participated include Naina Saproo, Deepali Wattal, Dilip Langoo, Ravi Bhan, Siddharth Koul, Nikhil Majotra, Sunny Koul, Rakesh Kumar Koona.

Media Secretary

(Meenakshi)