THE BITTER TRUTH: Terrorism and Genocide of Kashmiri Pandits

Terrorism and Genocide of Kashmiri Pandits

Genocide in Kashmir

350,000 Kashmiri Pandits, constituting 99% of the total population of Hindus living in Muslim majority area of the Kashmir Valley, were forcibly pushed out of the Valley by Muslim terrorists, trained in Pakistan, since the end of 1989. They have been forced to live the life of exiles in their own country, outside their homeland, by unleashing a systematic campaign of terror, murder, loot and arson.
Genocide of Kashmiri Pandits has reached its climax with Muslim terrorism succeeding in 'CLEANSING' the valley of this ancient ethno-religious community.
With the completion of fifth year of their forced exile, this peace loving, culturally rich community with a history of more than 5000 years, is fighting a grim battle to save itself from becoming extinct as a distinct race and culture.

Kashmiri Pandits in Exile

Terrorist Violence against Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir - Role of Pakistan

Terrorism in Kashmir is an ideological struggle with specified political commitments which are fundamentalist and communal in character.
Terrorist violence is aimed at achieving the disengagement of the state of Jammu and Kashmir from India and its annexation to Pakistan. It is, the continuation of the Islamic fundamentalist struggle for the homeland of Pakistan which claims Jammu and Kashmir state on account of its Muslim majority character.
The major dimension of the terrorist violence in Kashmir is the terrorists' commitment to the extermination and subjugation of the Hindus in the state because Hindus do not subscribe to the idea of separation from India, nor do they expect to be governed by the authority of the state which derives its sanction from the law and precedent of Islam. Kashmiri Pandits (Hindus) have always been in the forefront of the struggle against secessionism, communalism and fundamentalism. Hence this peace loving minority with a modern outlook became the main victim of terrorist violence. The strategies involved in the terrorists' operation against the Hindus in Kashmir include:

The extermination of Hindus
Subjecting Hindus to brutal torture to instill fear among them in order to achieve their submission.
To engineer a forced mass exodus of Hindus from the land of their ancestors and birth by way of issuing threatening letters, kidnappings and torture deaths on non-compliance of the terrorists' dictates and ensure the destruction of the secular and pluralistic character of the socio-political fabric of the Kashmiri Society.
Attacks, molestations, kidnappings, gang rapes of the women folk of the Hindus in order to instil fear and humiliation in them.
Destruction and burning of the residential houses of the Hindus who leave their homes in look out for safety. Looting of their properties and appropriation of their business establishments to ensure that they do not return.
Attachment of their landed property.
Destruction of the social base of the Hindus by the desecration and destruction of their places of worship.
Appropriation of the property of the Hindu shrines and its attachment to Muslim religious endowments.

Fact sheet Of Atrocities On Kashmiri Pandits

Educational Institutions burnt, damaged forcefully occupied	105
Religious & Cultural Institutions Destroyed/burnt, damaged (Temples/Ashrams/Dharamshalas)	103
Business houses destablised (Including shops looted/burnt, factories looted/burnt, occupied)	14,430
Agriculture dependent families deprived of their land and source of income	20,000
Horticulture dependent families deprived of their resource	12,500
Houses Burnt	more than 20,000
Houses looted	95%
Torture killings of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley	more than 1,100

Religious Sadism At Its Peak

Killing of Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir by terrorists clearly depicts extreme sadism. All victims have been subjected to extreme torture and terror.
Torture deaths have been brought about by such inhuman practices as:

Strangulation by using steel wires
Hanging
Impailing
Branding with hot irons
Burning alive
Lynching
Bleeding to death
Gouging out of vital organs
Dismemberment of Human bodies
Drowning alive.

Terrorists have frequently indulged in barbaric acts like performing 'death dances' after killing their target.
Many a time, dead bodies were not even allowed to be properly cremated.

Universal Apathy

Failure of Government of India:

The Jammu and Kashmir Government and Government of India have failed squarely to protect the Kashmiri Pandits against Islamic terrorism.
Jammu and Kashmir being the only Muslim majority state in whole of India, the protection of minorities and their living peacefully, in their homeland, is crucial for India to remain as a Secular Democratic State.
Ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits (Hindus) from Kashmir valley is the crucial failure of Indian state to uphold its commitments to people of India as enshrined in Indian constitution which provides right to live with dignity and honour to every citizen irrespective of caste, creed, religion or colour.

Failure of Human Rights Organisations:

Leading International Human Rights Organisations like Amnesty International, Asia Watch and others have yet to take proper cognizance of the genocide perpetrated on Kashmiri Pandits.
Their representatives have so far failed to visit the camps in Jammu, Delhi and other parts of India were thousands of families are putting up for the last five years.
Gradual extinction of a civilised community with an ancient culture is yet to shake the conscience of the world.

After The Exodus

More than 5000 persons have died in camps and elsewhere after their forced exodus from the valley. They died of

Sunstrokes (more than 1000) as most of them were used to cold climate of Kashmir and could not acclimatize to extremely hot temperatures in rest of India.
Heart attacks and accidents which have been mainly attributed to extreme psychological trauma and mental pressures by the doctors.
Gastroenteritis and typhoid epidemics, snake bites etc.

The cohesiveness of the displaced families has broken as they were to undergo Diaspora for finding livelihood in various parts of country.
Cultural Dilution - The whole displaced community with a distinct culture is facing the threat of extinction after loosing its natural habitat.

Kashmiri Pandits

- Representatives of Glorious Heritage And Legacy of Kashmir - Symbols of Brotherhood and Peace

Kashmiri Pandits have always been devoted to spritual and academic pursuits.
They have during their history of more than 5000 years nurtured values of peace, co-existence and tolerance.
They are the original inhabitants of Kashmir.
Kashmiri Pandits are progenitors of Kashmir Shaivism the philosophy of oneness of mankind.
Hinyan and Sarvastivadin sects of Budhism found highest expression in Kashmir and Kashmiri Pandits spread their message to China and Central Asia.
Kashmiri Pandits have contributed immensely to the evolution of human thought by contributing to almost all fields of creative human endeavour like literature (mainly Sanskrit), language, science and philosophy from times immemorial.
Since the advent of Islam in 14th century, Kashmiri Hindus have been subjected to extreme persecution. To escape religious fanaticism in the form of forced conversions to Islam they had either to embrace death or leave Kashmir more than once during the last six hundred years.
Present exodus of Kashmiri Pandits is fourth mass exodus in the history of Kashmir since the advent of Islam in this part.

Kashmiri Pandit: A Rare Pocket Of Tolerance

Inspite of repeated rejection of co-existence and pluralism by Muslim society for the last six hundred years, Kashmiri Pandit has not given up his faith in these values.
He has not reciprocated fanaticism with fanaticism and violence with violence.
In a world threatened with ethnic and religious strifes where various parties have invariably resorted to violence and force, to further their claims, Kashmiri Pandit isthe only example who has totally rejected the violence as a means to fulfill socio-political aspirations.

World therefore has a stake in protecting this culturally rich, educated and peace loving community, from becoming extinct, if it has to move towards a Modern World Order of Peace and Universal brotherhood. Terrorist violence cannot be justified on the ground of its political and ideological motivations or value basis. Terrorist violence in the valley is not a Freedom Struggle at all. Cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir is a clear testimony of this fact. There is no freedom which impringes upon freedom. There can be no equality which leads to inequality.
Killings of Kashmiri Pandits