IndianExpress.com :: Hurriyat wants to see Pandits back, ready to apologise
Whats this?
A Kashmiri Muslim leader finally wakes up from a 17 year long slumber. Did his masters in the valley and their masters in Islamabad approve of this admission?
On 20th June 2007, at an event to mark the “World Refugee Day” organised by Roots In Kashmir – A Kashmiri Pandit Youth initiative, a senior representative of the Mirwaiz Umer Farooq faction of Hurriyat conference conceded that the Kashmiri Pandits had to leave the valley – hounded out by excesses committed on them. He also added that his Hurriyat was ready to apologize to the Kashmiri Pandit community for these excesses.
While I am somewhat glad that one soul amongst Kashmiri Muslims has finally found the nerve, guts and honesty to admit the facts, I am still somewhat confused about it.
Didn’t these very people go about tom-toming for last 17 years that it was Jagmohan (Governor of J&K, 1990) who asked Pandits to leave so that he would cleanse Kashmir of terrorism. This Jagmohan phobia has been so widely repeated and reiterated in the valley – that if today you ask a 10-15 year old kid in the valley a question as simple as “Who are Kashmiri Pandits (or Bhatta’s as we are known in Kashmiri”)?” – the answer you are definitely going to get is “Bhatta’ is a traitor and spy – and Jagmohan asked them to leave Kashmir so that he would kill Muslims”.
ISI and the terror outfits had no choice but to make this make believe story work in the minds on the masses – to lend credence to their story that they movement in Kashmir is for self-determination and not a religious fanatic Jihad. The mature elders in the valley all along knew the truth – but stayed quiet. Who dares challenge a story written by those carrying an AK-47?
Today – suddenly Kashmiri Muslims are ready to apologize to the Pandits – whom their valiant terrorists hounded out of the valley. But why this change of heart?
Has some kind of ‘truth serum’ polluted the waters of Vitasta (Jhelum) or has finally the realization dawned on them – that they can never make the world believe that their agenda isn’t communal – till they get Pandits back into the valley.
If it’s a truth serum at work finally – or the inside voice shaking them vigourously now –will they also apologize to Jagmohan for vilifying him so badly for last 17 years.
If not – I would let this drama pass for now…
Whats this?
A Kashmiri Muslim leader finally wakes up from a 17 year long slumber. Did his masters in the valley and their masters in Islamabad approve of this admission?
On 20th June 2007, at an event to mark the “World Refugee Day” organised by Roots In Kashmir – A Kashmiri Pandit Youth initiative, a senior representative of the Mirwaiz Umer Farooq faction of Hurriyat conference conceded that the Kashmiri Pandits had to leave the valley – hounded out by excesses committed on them. He also added that his Hurriyat was ready to apologize to the Kashmiri Pandit community for these excesses.
While I am somewhat glad that one soul amongst Kashmiri Muslims has finally found the nerve, guts and honesty to admit the facts, I am still somewhat confused about it.
Didn’t these very people go about tom-toming for last 17 years that it was Jagmohan (Governor of J&K, 1990) who asked Pandits to leave so that he would cleanse Kashmir of terrorism. This Jagmohan phobia has been so widely repeated and reiterated in the valley – that if today you ask a 10-15 year old kid in the valley a question as simple as “Who are Kashmiri Pandits (or Bhatta’s as we are known in Kashmiri”)?” – the answer you are definitely going to get is “Bhatta’ is a traitor and spy – and Jagmohan asked them to leave Kashmir so that he would kill Muslims”.
ISI and the terror outfits had no choice but to make this make believe story work in the minds on the masses – to lend credence to their story that they movement in Kashmir is for self-determination and not a religious fanatic Jihad. The mature elders in the valley all along knew the truth – but stayed quiet. Who dares challenge a story written by those carrying an AK-47?
Today – suddenly Kashmiri Muslims are ready to apologize to the Pandits – whom their valiant terrorists hounded out of the valley. But why this change of heart?
Has some kind of ‘truth serum’ polluted the waters of Vitasta (Jhelum) or has finally the realization dawned on them – that they can never make the world believe that their agenda isn’t communal – till they get Pandits back into the valley.
If it’s a truth serum at work finally – or the inside voice shaking them vigourously now –will they also apologize to Jagmohan for vilifying him so badly for last 17 years.
If not – I would let this drama pass for now…
No comments:
Post a Comment