Kashmir
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Kashmiri Pandits The forgotten victims of terror Nov, 2008
Kashmir - Historical Perspective
Center of Hindu Religion and Education Mentioned in ‘Mahabharata’, supposed to be descendents of Arjun Hindu character eroded by Muslim oppression since 12th century A.D. Killings, Pogroms, Forced Conversions brought Kashmir’s Hindu population down to 11 families in 200 years after first Muslim invasion
Article 370
Article 370 was a temporary statute, defining relationship with an interim state administration
Gave special status to the state Different citizenship rights Different property rights
National corruption laws did not apply
Article 370 left in place after full fledged state legislature took over in 1957
Source: http://www.kashmirherald.com/presentations/Article370_files/frame.htm
‘Autonomy’ for Whom?
Wishes of Kashmiri Hindus, as well as residents of Jammu and Ladakh regions ignored at Partition
A near 50-50 divide in Muslims vs. Hindus Jammu, Ladakh population larger than Kashmir valley population
Article 370 conditions negotiated exclusively with Kashmiri Muslim community Other states in India that have “less autonomy” have managed to preserve separate cultural and linguistic identity, as well as participate in national progress
Source: http://www.kashmirherald.com/presentations/Article370_files/frame.htm
Fruits of Article 370
Under the cover of Article 370, the Kashmiri Muslims steadily eliminated Hindus from all spheres of state administration Placed Islamic fundamentalists in state bureaucracy Gerrymandered electoral districts to disproportionately exclude Hindus Discriminated against Hindus in academic admissions Took control of over 95% of media outlets Used media to spread fundamentalism
Fruits of Article 370
State Subject law under Article 370 put tremendous negative pressure on Hindu population in Kashmir
While overall population rose everywhere in India, the Kashmiri Hindu population declined from 15% to about 4% of population
Gerrymandering of electoral districts ensured that Hindu representation in state legislature was nil or negligible
Paved the way for denial of fundamental rights: attack on Hindu religion marked by destruction of temples, assassinations of well known Hindus and killings, rapes and kidnappings of thousands of Hindus
Culminated in 1990 ethnic cleansing of nearly 400,000 Kashmiri Hindus fomented by Islamic fundamentalism
First wave of exodus
The state government imposed aggressive affirmative action measures aimed at uplifting the Muslim community
Hindus had to do twice as well to get into universities and three times better to get jobs
That led to the beginning of the Hindu exodus, which some say began as early as the 1960s.
In 1947, Pandits made up 12 percent of the Kashmir population.
Second wave of exodus
In 1990, more than 2,50,000 Kashmiri Hindus were driven out of their homeland
The Hindu minority, which in 1989 was 6 percent of Kashmir's population was reduced to only 1% by 1990.
By 2006 their population reduced to 0.1%
Rebels painted Hindu shops green, the color of Islam. Signs were hung around the necks of stray dogs that read, "Indian dogs go home."
Everyday," Ganju, now 32, remembers, "they said, 'We'll wait until things quiet down next week.' Next week turned into a month, which turned into 13 years."
Ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits
Documentary by Ashok Pandit – Part I
http://in.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=/watch%3Fv%3DeCRFWStxV_4
Documentary by Ashok Pandit – Part 2 http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=u2vsztUdkpU
Please connect to the internet to watch the videos
Temples desecrated and destroyed
At present the same is happening in Goa regularly. What is the government doing?
Wandhama Massacre in Kashmir
Pandits selectively killed 14 of 15 members of a family gunned down Total number of people killed : 23 Videos (Internet connection required)
Wandhama Massacre 1
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=caswR0jroag
Wandhama Massacre 2
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZfHaIp6hMo
There were many such massacres
Response of the Indian Govt.
Chaos in Kashmir as the Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and his National Conference government abdicated all responsibilities of the State The Indian government did not respond right away
“We saw it as sporadic violence. We failed to understand the game plan," says Inspector General of Police K. Rajendra Kumar in Srinagar. "When India reacted, it was too late."
Source: http://www.dailyherald.com/special/passagefromindia/paradiselost.asp
Self-imposed migration?
The government had made bold to record that the Kashmiri Pandits had "migrated on their own" and their 'displacement (is) self-imposed;' the National Human Rights Commission, after a perfunctory inquiry
Refused to concede 'genocide' or 'ethnic cleansing‘
Nobody from the government visits them or follows up with their conditions, even those who were convinced by the government to move to camps from their homes
Some flats were built in Kashmir for rehabilitation, but the conditions were not conducive for the Pandits to move back
Source: http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/jan/19kanch.htm http://www.iakf.org/main/index.php?module=article&view=173
Their Plight In no elections was this ever made an issue by any party Political parties, government machinery, judiciary, media and the NGOs, have all failed to fight for them. They used to be a prosperous community. Indians as a people have a short historical memory. It is precisely this attitude that helped the British gobble up the whole country, one region at a time A comparison: 3,00,000 ethnic Albanians refugees led to NATO campaign against Serbia in 1999 Number of Kashmiri Pandit refugees in 1990 : 4,00, 000
Those who stayed back
Some high profile government employees or businessmen
Their children moved out of Kashmir
Those who had government jobs Livelihood depended on land (orchards) They had support of Muslim neighbours for their safety or had armed guards They thought the situation would improve in a few months Attempts were made at their lives Terrible conditions of refugees made them stay back
5 to 6 people in a small room or tent is the home they have Health and economic problems
Have been facing sporadic attacks and threats
Source: http://www.iakf.org/main/index.php?module=article&view=173
Words of K.P.S Gill
“Pogroms of a far lesser magnitude in other parts of the world have attracted international attention, censure and action in support of the victim communities “ But this is an insidious campaign that has passed virtually unnoticed, and on which the world remains silent Kashmiri Pandits live in cramped conditions and poverty Doctors treating various Kashmiri Pandit patients assert that they had aged physically and mentally by 10 to 15 years beyond their natural age, and that there was a risk that the Pandits could face extinction if current trends persist.
Source: http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/kpsgill/2003/chapter9.htm
Their Grievances and Demands
50,000 of Pandit refugees are living in pathetic conditions in refugee camps even after 19 years of mass exodus.
The term ‘migrants’ (used for people who migrate on their own wish) is used for them when actually they were forced into exile (they couldn’t get government jobs because of this status) In Nov, 08 they got an ‘Internally Displaced’ Status from the UN, but UN cannot intervene because India is not a failed state
We are rotting away - we are a national waste - we have no political representation, have no geographic ethnicity
Kashmiri Hindus be restored political and economic rights, giving them equal status rather than second-class citizenship in their native land
Source: http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-39092.html
Their Grievances and Demands
Grant funds to Kashmiri Hindus for the preservation and documentation of relics of Kashmiri Hindu heritage and culture
Direct the Government to hand over the management of religious shrines, icons and cultural centers to Kashmiri Hindu leadership
Still waiting to go home…..
How the world looks at them
“We also witnessed firsthand the basic hostility of Amnesty International to the plight of Kashmiri Pandits” - Francois Gautier of FACTS-India
Michael Binyon, lead writer for the prestigious London Times on the film made by Ashok Pandit- "It is very crude, it is not made for the British public, it sounds too much like propaganda.“
BECAUSE THE KASHMIRI PANDITS DON’T PLANT BOMBS
BECAUSE WE HAVE FAILED THEM
Still they care for us…but do we care for them? Pictures from Blogs and websites of Kashmiri Pandits showing Jammuites celebrating the Amarnath victory
Our Questions
Why are our memories so short? Why do they fight alone? Why do they have to run after UN?
Will abrogation of Article 370 tear down the artificial walls of the state with the rest of India, and accelerate a solution to the Kashmir crisis ?
Swabhimaan
of being a Hindu and of being a Bhartiya STAND UNITED WITH THEM
What we can do
Make a political issue for the Kashmiri Pandits
Join them in their rallies Conduct rallies for their cause Details will be discussed with interested people
Help them with money or any other way Atleast improve their living conditions
Donations to Kashmiri Pandit Organizations
Organizations/Websites
Panun Kashmir : A Homeland for Kashmiri Pandits Roots in Kashmir Kashmiri Overseas Association Indo-American Kashmir Front Kashmir-Pandit.org Kashmir-information.org
Blogs www.kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com
Contacts [email protected]
For Queries or Membership of Swabhimaan Please send a mail [email protected] AIM OF SWABHIMAAN Unity of Bhartiya Hindus
References http://www.kashmiripandits.info/ http://kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com/ http://www.panunkashmir.org/margdarshan.html http://www.dailyherald.com/special/passagefromindia/paradiselost.asp http://www.hindujagruti.org/activities/campaigns/national/hindu-genocide/gallery.php?level=album&id=16&page=1 http://www.kashmirherald.com/main.php?t=PR&st=L http://www.dailyherald.com/special/passagefromindia/paradiselost.asp http://ushome.rediff.com/news/2004/jul/30franc.htm http://www.iakf.org/main/index.php?module=article&view=173 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashmiri_Pandits http://www.kashmirherald.com/presentations/KNNIndiaPolicyForum_files/frame.htm
Kashmir - Historical Perspective
Center of Hindu Religion and Education Mentioned in ‘Mahabharata’, supposed to be descendents of Arjun Hindu character eroded by Muslim oppression since 12th century A.D. Killings, Pogroms, Forced Conversions brought Kashmir’s Hindu population down to 11 families in 200 years after first Muslim invasion
Article 370
Article 370 was a temporary statute, defining relationship with an interim state administration
Gave special status to the state Different citizenship rights Different property rights
National corruption laws did not apply
Article 370 left in place after full fledged state legislature took over in 1957
Source: http://www.kashmirherald.com/presentations/Article370_files/frame.htm
‘Autonomy’ for Whom?
Wishes of Kashmiri Hindus, as well as residents of Jammu and Ladakh regions ignored at Partition
A near 50-50 divide in Muslims vs. Hindus Jammu, Ladakh population larger than Kashmir valley population
Article 370 conditions negotiated exclusively with Kashmiri Muslim community Other states in India that have “less autonomy” have managed to preserve separate cultural and linguistic identity, as well as participate in national progress
Source: http://www.kashmirherald.com/presentations/Article370_files/frame.htm
Fruits of Article 370
Under the cover of Article 370, the Kashmiri Muslims steadily eliminated Hindus from all spheres of state administration Placed Islamic fundamentalists in state bureaucracy Gerrymandered electoral districts to disproportionately exclude Hindus Discriminated against Hindus in academic admissions Took control of over 95% of media outlets Used media to spread fundamentalism
Fruits of Article 370
State Subject law under Article 370 put tremendous negative pressure on Hindu population in Kashmir
While overall population rose everywhere in India, the Kashmiri Hindu population declined from 15% to about 4% of population
Gerrymandering of electoral districts ensured that Hindu representation in state legislature was nil or negligible
Paved the way for denial of fundamental rights: attack on Hindu religion marked by destruction of temples, assassinations of well known Hindus and killings, rapes and kidnappings of thousands of Hindus
Culminated in 1990 ethnic cleansing of nearly 400,000 Kashmiri Hindus fomented by Islamic fundamentalism
First wave of exodus
The state government imposed aggressive affirmative action measures aimed at uplifting the Muslim community
Hindus had to do twice as well to get into universities and three times better to get jobs
That led to the beginning of the Hindu exodus, which some say began as early as the 1960s.
In 1947, Pandits made up 12 percent of the Kashmir population.
Second wave of exodus
In 1990, more than 2,50,000 Kashmiri Hindus were driven out of their homeland
The Hindu minority, which in 1989 was 6 percent of Kashmir's population was reduced to only 1% by 1990.
By 2006 their population reduced to 0.1%
Rebels painted Hindu shops green, the color of Islam. Signs were hung around the necks of stray dogs that read, "Indian dogs go home."
Everyday," Ganju, now 32, remembers, "they said, 'We'll wait until things quiet down next week.' Next week turned into a month, which turned into 13 years."
Ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits
Documentary by Ashok Pandit – Part I
http://in.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=/watch%3Fv%3DeCRFWStxV_4
Documentary by Ashok Pandit – Part 2 http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=u2vsztUdkpU
Please connect to the internet to watch the videos
Temples desecrated and destroyed
At present the same is happening in Goa regularly. What is the government doing?
Wandhama Massacre in Kashmir
Pandits selectively killed 14 of 15 members of a family gunned down Total number of people killed : 23 Videos (Internet connection required)
Wandhama Massacre 1
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=caswR0jroag
Wandhama Massacre 2
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZfHaIp6hMo
There were many such massacres
Response of the Indian Govt.
Chaos in Kashmir as the Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and his National Conference government abdicated all responsibilities of the State The Indian government did not respond right away
“We saw it as sporadic violence. We failed to understand the game plan," says Inspector General of Police K. Rajendra Kumar in Srinagar. "When India reacted, it was too late."
Source: http://www.dailyherald.com/special/passagefromindia/paradiselost.asp
Self-imposed migration?
The government had made bold to record that the Kashmiri Pandits had "migrated on their own" and their 'displacement (is) self-imposed;' the National Human Rights Commission, after a perfunctory inquiry
Refused to concede 'genocide' or 'ethnic cleansing‘
Nobody from the government visits them or follows up with their conditions, even those who were convinced by the government to move to camps from their homes
Some flats were built in Kashmir for rehabilitation, but the conditions were not conducive for the Pandits to move back
Source: http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/jan/19kanch.htm http://www.iakf.org/main/index.php?module=article&view=173
Their Plight In no elections was this ever made an issue by any party Political parties, government machinery, judiciary, media and the NGOs, have all failed to fight for them. They used to be a prosperous community. Indians as a people have a short historical memory. It is precisely this attitude that helped the British gobble up the whole country, one region at a time A comparison: 3,00,000 ethnic Albanians refugees led to NATO campaign against Serbia in 1999 Number of Kashmiri Pandit refugees in 1990 : 4,00, 000
Those who stayed back
Some high profile government employees or businessmen
Their children moved out of Kashmir
Those who had government jobs Livelihood depended on land (orchards) They had support of Muslim neighbours for their safety or had armed guards They thought the situation would improve in a few months Attempts were made at their lives Terrible conditions of refugees made them stay back
5 to 6 people in a small room or tent is the home they have Health and economic problems
Have been facing sporadic attacks and threats
Source: http://www.iakf.org/main/index.php?module=article&view=173
Words of K.P.S Gill
“Pogroms of a far lesser magnitude in other parts of the world have attracted international attention, censure and action in support of the victim communities “ But this is an insidious campaign that has passed virtually unnoticed, and on which the world remains silent Kashmiri Pandits live in cramped conditions and poverty Doctors treating various Kashmiri Pandit patients assert that they had aged physically and mentally by 10 to 15 years beyond their natural age, and that there was a risk that the Pandits could face extinction if current trends persist.
Source: http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/kpsgill/2003/chapter9.htm
Their Grievances and Demands
50,000 of Pandit refugees are living in pathetic conditions in refugee camps even after 19 years of mass exodus.
The term ‘migrants’ (used for people who migrate on their own wish) is used for them when actually they were forced into exile (they couldn’t get government jobs because of this status) In Nov, 08 they got an ‘Internally Displaced’ Status from the UN, but UN cannot intervene because India is not a failed state
We are rotting away - we are a national waste - we have no political representation, have no geographic ethnicity
Kashmiri Hindus be restored political and economic rights, giving them equal status rather than second-class citizenship in their native land
Source: http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-39092.html
Their Grievances and Demands
Grant funds to Kashmiri Hindus for the preservation and documentation of relics of Kashmiri Hindu heritage and culture
Direct the Government to hand over the management of religious shrines, icons and cultural centers to Kashmiri Hindu leadership
Still waiting to go home…..
How the world looks at them
“We also witnessed firsthand the basic hostility of Amnesty International to the plight of Kashmiri Pandits” - Francois Gautier of FACTS-India
Michael Binyon, lead writer for the prestigious London Times on the film made by Ashok Pandit- "It is very crude, it is not made for the British public, it sounds too much like propaganda.“
BECAUSE THE KASHMIRI PANDITS DON’T PLANT BOMBS
BECAUSE WE HAVE FAILED THEM
Still they care for us…but do we care for them? Pictures from Blogs and websites of Kashmiri Pandits showing Jammuites celebrating the Amarnath victory
Our Questions
Why are our memories so short? Why do they fight alone? Why do they have to run after UN?
Will abrogation of Article 370 tear down the artificial walls of the state with the rest of India, and accelerate a solution to the Kashmir crisis ?
Swabhimaan
of being a Hindu and of being a Bhartiya STAND UNITED WITH THEM
What we can do
Make a political issue for the Kashmiri Pandits
Join them in their rallies Conduct rallies for their cause Details will be discussed with interested people
Help them with money or any other way Atleast improve their living conditions
Donations to Kashmiri Pandit Organizations
Organizations/Websites
Panun Kashmir : A Homeland for Kashmiri Pandits Roots in Kashmir Kashmiri Overseas Association Indo-American Kashmir Front Kashmir-Pandit.org Kashmir-information.org
Blogs www.kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com
Contacts [email protected]
For Queries or Membership of Swabhimaan Please send a mail [email protected] AIM OF SWABHIMAAN Unity of Bhartiya Hindus
References http://www.kashmiripandits.info/ http://kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com/ http://www.panunkashmir.org/margdarshan.html http://www.dailyherald.com/special/passagefromindia/paradiselost.asp http://www.hindujagruti.org/activities/campaigns/national/hindu-genocide/gallery.php?level=album&id=16&page=1 http://www.kashmirherald.com/main.php?t=PR&st=L http://www.dailyherald.com/special/passagefromindia/paradiselost.asp http://ushome.rediff.com/news/2004/jul/30franc.htm http://www.iakf.org/main/index.php?module=article&view=173 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashmiri_Pandits http://www.kashmirherald.com/presentations/KNNIndiaPolicyForum_files/frame.htm
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