Thursday, October 28, 2010

Pandits will return on their own terms by Lalit Koul

Pandits will return on their own terms by Lalit Koul
December 17, 2003 01:44 IST

 
http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/dec/17guest.htm

In recent weeks, we have once again seen some chattering by local Jammu & Kashmir politicians, national politicians and Islamic terrorists about the return of Kashmiri Hindus to the Kashmir valley. Various forums, commissions, me-too-NGOs have propped up to talk about how Kashmiri Hindus can be resettled back in the valley.


One such front is a four-member Committee of National Minority Commission on rehabilitation of Kashmiri Hindus. Former Jammu and Kashmir [ Images ] chief secretary Musa Raza is leading the team. Other members of the delegation include Maulana Shafi Moonis, vice-president Jamaat-I-Islami Hind, Dr Qasim Rasool Isyas, All India [ Images ] Muslim Personal Law Board and Dr Navad Hamid, Movement for Empowerment of Muslim Indians. The modus operandi of this front is to visit Kashmir to create an 'atmosphere' in which Kashmiri Hindus can return to the valley with honor and dignity.

There is another facade (they call it a NGO) 'Maytri' floated by Taj Mohi-u-Din, a minister in Mufti Mohammed Sayeed's [ Images ] J&K government. The objective of this front too is to help Kashmiri Hindus return to Kashmir.

Taj Mohi-u-Din is apparently joined by 24 Kashmiri intellectuals -- retired judges, academicians, lawyers, writers and some journalists. Due to security concerns, he is not yet identifying these 24 intellectuals. His proposed plan is a cruel joke. This minister, who had the audacity to say that only 100 odd Kashmiri Hindus were killed during this latest ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus, needs to study history and then remember it. As per his proposed plan, his first step is to approach
the imams of the villages and other Muslim leaders in the valley. This is what he has proposed:

''Once they (imams) are motivated, they can convince the villagers through Friday congregations. The youth, if motivated and mobilised, will go out of the way to make arrangements for the safe return of Kashmiri Pandits.'

'Kashmiri Muslims never wanted the Pandits out, it was just the fear psychosis.'

Has Taj Mohi-u-Din heard the venomous threats that were blasted through mosques' loudspeakers during late 1989 and early 1990? Has he seen the advertisements published in Kashmiri newspapers during the late 1980s and early 1990s? Does he know that those advertisements demanded Kashmiri Hindus to leave Kashmir within 24 hours or be killed? Does he remember the slogans in which Islamic terrorists demanded that they want Kashmir without Kashmiri Hindu males but with Kashmiri Hindu females? Does he remember all that? And he has the gall to say that Kashmiri Muslims never wanted the Pandits out? And where were those Kashmiri Muslims when their Kashmiri Hindu neighbors were getting raped and killed and dead bodies were being thrown in the middle of the road? Where were they? Acting like moot spectators makes them equally responsible.

It is one of the greatest tragedies in free democratic India when it is projected that Kashmiri Hindus' return to their own homes and hearth is dependent upon an imam in a Kashmir village. What can be worse than that? Are we saying it has come to such a pass that we are leaving everything to an imam? Taj Mohi-u-Din and all of us need to look back into history and see who was responsible for the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus. Those people who are ignorant and need more information, need to at least read the following books:
Under the Shadow of Militancy -- The Diary of an unknown Kashmiri by Tej N Dhar
Lost Rebellion by Manoj Joshi (at least Pages 61 to 70)

Here is an excerpt from Manoj Joshi's book:

'G K Muju was a lecturer at the Medical College in Srinagar [ Images ] and a working committee member of the Kashmiri Pandit Conference. In February 1990, Muju was told that his name had been seen in hit lists passed by the militants in some mosques in the city. The following month, his family went through a number of harrowing incidents: people throwing stones at his house, mysterious phone calls, and so on. On 6 March, Muju, his wife and children left. However his eighty-year old father, a retired teacher, and his seventy-five-year old mother stayed behind. On 6 July, some intruders entered the house and brutally knifed the old couple to death. Nothing was taken away from their house.'

Did you notice the mention of mosques in this piece of factual information? And who runs these mosques? Yes, you guessed it right. 'Imam' is the right answer.

The above mentioned two books will remind ignorant people and those who have their heads buried in sand, how Kashmiri Hindus were mercilessly killed by Islamic zealots. And who promoted and harbored those Islamic zealots? Some of the imams Taj Mohi-u-Din wants to approach. Have we already forgotten the threats we heard coming out of mosques during the night of January 19, 1990?

Some of the imams were inside those mosques allowing all that to happen and possibly even participating in those
threats. And we are now going to talk to these imams to motivate them to take Kashmiri Hindus back? Is that what we have to do?

A few days back, Hurriyat/JKLF leader and terrorist Yasin Malik said the Pandits should keep themselves out of the political process. He said: 'They should remain neutral in the ongoing struggle, and lead a normal, peaceful life, without involving themselves.'

What exactly is Yasin Malik proposing? Is he saying that he has a fundamental right of self-determination and Kashmiri Hindus don't have a right to exercise their fundamental right of political voice? A terrorist can have a political voice and a peace-loving patriot cannot. What kind of standard is that?

Yasin Malik seems to be delusional. Let us remind him that Kashmiri Hindus are the only original inhabitants of the Kashmir valley and nobody on the face of this earth can deny them the right to their homeland. Kashmir belongs to Kashmiri Hindus. It has belonged to them since its inception and will continue to belong to them. Yasin Malik and his cronies cannot take away Kashmiri Hindus' fundamental right to live in their own homeland with full dignity, honor, security and rights.

In my honest opinion, it has been a grave mistake on the part of Kashmiri Hindus that they have never been seriously politically active in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. And it has proven to be a big disadvantage. It is about time that Kashmiri Hindus float a serious political party and actively engage in the politics of Jammu & Kashmir.

Kashmiri Hindus need to create their own political clout by creating their own vote bank. The vote bank they would create will help them in getting a seat at the negotiation table.

For all those self-styled peace-missionaries, for any reconciliation the first pre-requisite is to bring out the truth. In any such 'Truth and Reconciliation' commissions, you will first see the Truth and then the Reconciliation. And the first truth that has to be brought out is the truth about the people who are responsible for this worst ethnic cleansing that happened in Kashmir.

The first step in any approach has to be to convict the people who have been responsible for this ethnic cleansing. They cannot and should not go scot-free. Anybody who forgets that and allows it to happen will be held equally responsible for the worst ethnic cleansing of a particular community in the recent history of India.

Decent people should not forget that there are children in the Kashmiri Hindu community who don't have fathers because some Islamic terrorist killed their fathers. There are girls in this community who don't have brothers because an Islamic terrorist killed their brothers and then hid behind an imam in a mosque. And they were killed only because they were Kashmiri Hindus and believed in the Indian tri-color. If somebody is giving you some other reason and you are buying that, I would like to talk to you.

Let it be known to one and all that Kashmiri Hindus will surely return to their sacred homeland and will return on their own terms. Neither Mufti Sayeed nor Yasin Malik will dictate when and how Kashmiri Hindus can return to their cherished homes and hearth.

Lastly, a little advice to Taj Mohi-u-Din, Musa Raza, Yasin Malik et al: If there is anybody who will decide the time and manner in which Kashmiri Hindus will return to the abode of Kashyapa, it will be Kashmiri Hindus.
Lalit Koul



Plight of Kashmiri Pandits
by Aanand Math (View MyPage) on Jan 19, 2005 03:10 PM

Writing columns will not help Mr Kaul, go and try to retaliate, make a huge vote bank, force the government (both state and center) to provide adequate security to all minorities, file a PIL in Supreme Court, make it an international issue by writing to all internationally read newspapers and periodicals and, if required, defend yourself with the same means as being used against you. Then only, you'll be able to get back your lost property and pride.
And it'll be a good lesson to all the shamelss and slothful Indians.
Peace and cooperation are used with people who understand them and wants to use them. If they are hellbent on decimate you, you also do so. Even animals attack when tortured beyond limit, we are supposedly humans (are we).

kashmir
by jill (View MyPage) on Dec 20, 2003 07:38 PM | Hide replies

firstly,do i need to remind that kashmir originally belonged to Hindu's and due to its proximity to borders,settlers from other cultures settled there,during that period thely were welcomed with open heart by the kashmiri hindu's,and now the situation is such that some politican is saying that they need permission of imams to return there?.Why cannot the Govt of India do something about it,and why has it not demanded the return of pakistani occuppied Kashmir till now which originally belongs to India?.Is our country so used to turning the other cheek?,when it will stop doing so,when will our childern be able to visit it rather than hear about it?.Times have changed, for a change let us be aggresive and progressive and unite and keep what is ours and take back what has been snacthed away from us?


Pandits of Kashmir
by Neeraj Rawat (View MyPage) on Dec 18, 2003 09:41 AM

I agree with the author and did witness the exodus of pandits from Kashmir during late 1980s and early 1990s. We remember very well when all of a sudden there was influx of well educated handsome guys looking for small jobs in New Delhi. They were desperate to keep their family running and have come to New Delhi and other parts of India, leaving all their belongings and savings in Kashmir.

What right do people like Yasin, Musa and others have to talk about Pandits coming back to Kashmir. I would say instead of Kashmiri Pandits its high time that we send 2 million Biharis/Haryanvis (pandits, Rajpuits, Yadavs and other OBCs) specially those who are homeless - to settle in Kshmir.

This will also add culture diversity and establish the bond (unity in diversity). The houses and other property that were left by Pandits should be used to provide employment and home to these new settlers from Bihar, UP, Homeless banjaras of Rajasthan/Gujarat and others.

Secondly, its also a high time to review the article 380. If a Kashmir resident is allowed to own a property in rest of India then why another Indian should not have the right to own a landed property in J&K.


Pandits will return on their own terms
by Dinkar B. Koppikar (View MyPage) on Dec 17, 2003 10:01 PM

However ancient a people may be in their land, once they leave it, whether by force or voluntarily, they can return to it, only if they have some kind of leverage to enforce the reurn. Palestinians have been out of their land since 1948 (whether voluntarily or forcibly) and demanding their return and trying to back their demand by guerilla warfare against Israel and support of some Middle Eastern countries. Even so the best they can hope for is a tiny piece of former Palestine called West Bank, and that too under overwhelming domination of Israel. Kashmiri Hindus have not created any such leverage (not necessarily a guerilla warfare), that would motivate current occupants of their ancient land either to retreat or to beseech Kashmiri Hindus to return. The author does not say how they will create such leverage. They can undertake political activity, but it is not clear how it will create the needed leverage. Hindu Sindhis and Panjabis cannot hope to return to their ancient land in Pakistan, nor Bengali Hindus in Bangladesh. There is no easy answer to this cruel historic dilemna.


RETURN OF KASHMIRI PANDITS TO KASHMIR
by RAKESH KAUSHIK (View MyPage) on Dec 17, 2003 07:13 PM

I agree with what the author has stated. Kashmiri muslims have forgotten that their forefathers were also Kashmiri Pandits. They want to prove that they are holier than the Pope and are the only saviours of Islam just like Pakistan does. Greed is another reason towhy they have gladly participated in the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits. Kashmiri Pandits and Hindus owned massive properties in Kashmir. Kashmiri Pandits were getting most of the Central most of the jobs where competition was involved as Kashmiri Muslims were unable to compete with them. The lure of getting properties at throwaway prices and the certainty of getting jobs in Kashmir valley was a major reason for the Kashmiri Muslims wanting to get rid of Kashmiri Pandits. The leaders who talk about resettlement of Kashmiri Pandits know in their hearts that the Pandits will not return. So they do not lose anything by talking about their return. And nobody bothers because they are not a vote bank.



Pandits will return on their own terms
by Nancy (View MyPage) on Dec 17, 2003 06:57 PM

Dear Mr Lalit koul,
Thanks for once again bringing out the truth especially for those of our people who are hell bent on looking the other way. I fully agree with you that the return of kashmiri Hindus has to be according to their wishes and not at the mercy of Yasin Maliks and Mufti Sayeeds. How can anybody forget that it was this Chief minister who released 5 dreaded Islamic terrorists for his daughter and furthered the ethnic cleansing in the Valley. The actual victims of Islamic terrorism in Kashmir have been half amillion people who are today refugees in their own country. The suffering continues for them and their targetting as recent as the Nadimargs barbaric massacre.And several others who do not make the headlines. So much noise about the human rights of terrorists and not a word for the Kashmiri Pandits. SHAME. You have correctly pointed out the involvement of the locals in Islamic terrorism: whether active or passive . There are thousands of examples and those who disagree please visit the Valley. THe signs of destruction of Hindu homes, property and temples is open and for all to see. And patriotic Kashmiri pandits got: suffering,torture and yet continuing GENOCIDE..


Kashmiri Pandits
by sudheer (View MyPage) on Dec 17, 2003 03:36 PM



GREAT

What an article he has written. I was completely taken aback by the plight of the Kashmiri Pandits. These terrorists and so callle imams should be taught a thorough lesson.
People loke Yasin malik and Mohi Udin should be booked under POTA.

Muslim Personal law board members like SHAHABUDDIN can only see the violation of human rights in Gujarat . They cannot see Hindus being murdered and slain in Kashmir. They adopt the policy of Selective criticism.

These people should be held accountable for their statements.

I would expect more such article from the side of the Lalit Kaul.


Truth Must Prevail.
by Vineet Kaul (View MyPage) on Dec 17, 2003 03:27 PM | Hide replies

Nothing could be more true than what you have said in your article. Before even blaming the Muslims of the valley, i sometimes feel that why did we not participate in the freedom struggle ? Why did we die for the tricolor ? What has any Indian done for us ? Do Indians even know what happened to Kashmiri Pandits ? This country and the way its society works is a shame. Kashmiri Pandits did not want money or fame or any other material stuff. They only wanted the truth to prevail. They only wanted the countrymen to acknowledge, " Yes, this community has massively suffered for loving their country"

But on the contrary, Kashmiri's who had properties worth millions are given a few thousand rupees to survive. Trust me the curse that has come out of each and every Kashmiri Pandit will not go waste. People who are directly or indirectly responsible for all the plight and misery of Pandits will suffer for their deeds.

Before i end one more thing, we have survived the hardest misery that could be forced on a community, we will be back and trust me THE WORLD WILL SEE !

Ps. For those who say Kashmiri muslims r still suffering, i agree but then they wanted Niza me Mustafa / Azadi.


RE:Truth Must Prevail.
by Vineet Kaul (View MyPage) on Dec 22, 2003 06:20 PM
Dear Mubashir:

Many thanks for your comments ! But let me tell u one thing, anyone who thinks that a Kashmiri Pandit has not suffered is either out of his/her senses or has lost the power to distinguish good from bad.

What i have suffered or lost is no one's business. As as far as Niza e Mustafa is concerned, before 1998, i like many other Kashmiris(both hindu and muslim) thought it was for good.

But i think you have forgotten how u used the loudspeakers of mosques from 1989 to 1991

As far as weeding out me or anyother Kashmiri is concerned, u have tried your best and with the Grace of Almighty GOD you have miserably failed.

I would pray to God to give you and others like you courage to accept your mistakes.

May God have mercy on you and your fellow accomplices !

PS. By the way before migration i did not have even one hindu friend, all my friends were muslims. And what my family has done for muslims in Kashmir, it will take people like you 10 rebirths to match that.


Return of Pandits to Kashmir
by C V R Bharati (View MyPage) on Dec 17, 2003 07:20 AM | Hide replies

I agree with the views expressed by Mr kul about Mr Yaseen Malik's statement. Mr Malik is unfair when he asks Pandits to return home to kashmir but then sit without any contribution/opinion when the issue of politicalprocess is discssed.This means Mr malik is talking about a second class citizenship for Kashmiri Hindus in Kashmir. This is not what democratic India stand for.
C V R Bharati


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