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

KASHMIRA VAHINI

HQR- Jammu

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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)