“A
Glimpse of a Tragedy Without an End …”
Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism (FACT) has undertaken an exhibition on Kashmir. Kashmir has been suffering from Jihadi terrorism since 1989. While the living conditions continues to disregard human values, world has remained silent to their sufferings.
This exhibition was shown successfully in Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Poland, Germany, Israel, England, Holland and in the US Congress in July 2005, leading to a bipartisan resolution on the Human Rights of the Kashmiri Pandits in the US Congress.
FACTs
- Terrorism has not stopped in some parts of the world (Kashmir,Bangladesh and now Nepal)and human condition in these parts demand immediate attention.
- People are displaced from their homes and there is no hope for their safe return.
- Terrorism has beenongoing in these parts for a long time and it cannot be ignored anymore.
- Unchecked,terrorists are able to force innocent people to their way of harmful thinking and hence churn out jihadis everyday. These jihadis have no rationale and are deputed to any part of the world.
Goals
- The exhibition brings home the point that terrorism cannot be fought on the streets. It has to be stopped before it reaches the streets. It has to be dealt with at its roots.
- The exhibition intends to bring awareness on the state-of-affairs in these parts of the world.
- The exhibition intends to create awareness on the effects of terrorism on common persons day-to-day life,
- Raise awareness of the gross neglect of human values in the Kashmir valley
- For humanity to live in peace it is important that terrorism be dealt with a firm hand and removed from the world completely. There is not much left in promises.
- Displaced people must return to their homeland.
- Safety of all returning home must be ensured.
The exhibition attempts to travel through the tribulations of a people that carry the torch of a five thousand year old civilization covering from their glorious past to the terrorism and its impact in the recent times. It brings to the world the painful truth of life under terrorism. The exhibition is a journey starting 5 millennia back to this day dwelling in the lives of people then and now.
This exhibition is about life under terrorism and not about any individual or religion perpetuating terror.
Do you know the real history of Kashmir ?
There is a lot of misconception in people’s mind, that Kashmir did not always belong to India, or that it is a “disputed area”. This is why we recently FACT (Forum Against Continuing Terrorism) chose to do an exhibition in Habitat Centre, which was a great success. Here are some of the facts we highlighted.
For two thousand years, the Himalayan valley of Kashmir in Northern India has been the home of Learning and Wisdom. From this small valley have issued masterpieces of history, poetry, romance, fable, and philosophy and many of the greatest Sanskrit scholars and poets were born and wrote in the valley. Kashmir flourished under some of India’s greatest rulers, such as Mauryan emperor Ashoka, who reigned between 273 and 233 BC and is recorded to have founded the old city of Srinagar. Under his sovereignty, many Buddhist scholars, missionaries, and intellectuals permanently settled in the valley. Or the great Hindu King Harsha (1089 to 1101 A. D) who was versed in many languages, a good poet, lover of music and art, making his court a centre of luxury, learning and splendour.
Unfortunately In the beginning of 14th century, a ferocious Mongol warlord, Dulucha, invaded the valley through its northern side Zojila Pass, with an army of 60,000 men. His savage attack ended for all purposes the Hindu rule in Kashmi and he is said to have destroyed many temples and killed thousands of Hindus. Muslim rule was further tightened in 1389, during the rule of Sultan-Sikandar. He banned all celebrations and would not even listen to music. He imposed Jizia (tax on Infidels) upon Hindus and stopped them to use tilak. Almost all the Muslim chroniclers of that time speak of the wholesale destruction of Hindu shrines including the famed 'Martand' Temple, and forcible conversion of Hindus to Islam. Thousands of Hindus fled to India to save their religion and holy books, and also to escape the wrath of the Sultan.
Then, after a period of relative tolerance and peace, came the rule of Afghans warlords till 1819, roughly a period of 67 years. The very first Afghan governor Abdullah Khan Aquasi, immediately after assuming powers, started a reign of terror. People were looted and killed indiscriminately, and even soldiers began to amass wealth beyond any imagination. Fortunately, in 1819, 30,000 soldiers of Sikh Maharaja Ranjit Singh attacked Kashmir, defeated the Pathans, and the state became a part of Ranjit Singh's empire for nearly forty years, providing some relief to Hindus in Kashmir. But the British defeated the Sikhs and became undisputed masters of India. Not interested by Kashmir, they sold it in perpetuity for 75 lakhs of rupees (appr 150.000 $) to Maharaja Gulab Singh of the Doghra dynasty (what wonderful merchants the British, who sell something which does not even belong to them!).
By treaty, conquest, or inter-marriages, the Doghras created a state comprised of five major units, which are fundamentally very different from each other in terms of geography and ethnicity and have further complicated the problems of Kashmir: the territory around Gilgit (today in Pakistan), which belongs basically to Central Asia; Ladhak, which is an extension of Tibet and is peopled at 55% by Buddhists and 45% by Muslims; the area around Muzarrafad which is today under Pakistan control, comprised mostly of Punjabi Muslims; Jammu, which in essence belongs to Himachal Pradesh and is Hindu in majority; and the valley of Kashmir, of course, which was Indian Muslim at 95 % in 1947.
Finally, India gained its independence from in 1947 and was disastrously divided by the British, against the advice of saints and seers, such as Sri Aurobindo, along religious lines into India and Pakistan. Although many Muslims chose to stay in India, knowing that they would be granted the freedom of practicing their own religion, most Hindus had to flee Pakistan as they were being slaughtered mercilessly. Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir decided to attach his state to free and secular India. Furious, the Pakistan Government invaded Kashmir, and encouraged the Muslim tribal people to carry loot, plunder, death and destruction into the hearths and homes of innocent Kashmiris in general and among Hindus in particular.
Since 1947, Pakistan, aided by China, which also claims parts of Indian territory (ah, ah, Mr Vajpayee, you got fooled again by the Chinese, like other PM’s before you !), has initiated three wars to regain Indian Kashmir, four, if you include the Kargil war fought in the icy reaches of upper Kashmir. Worse, the proxy war which they are waging on India today, by arming, training and financing not only Kashmiri separatists, but also Islamic militants coming from Afghanistan, or even faraway Sudan, has cost the lives of nearly 60.000 innocent people, both Hindus and Muslims. It should be added that Pakistan decided in the late eighties that it would be easier to regain Kashmir if all the Hindus were pushed out by a campaign of terror, both in the valley, where they are a tiny minority and in Jammu where they still have a thin majority. Thus 450,000 Kashmiri Pandits, constituting 99% of the total population of Hindus living in the Kashmir Valley, have been forcibly pushed out of the Valley by terrorists. Since 1989, they have been forced to live the life of exiles in their own country.
People should also be reminded that terrorism in Kashmir is not about separatism only, it is also an ideological struggle with specific fundamentalist and communal Agenda. Terrorist violence aims at the disengagement of the state of Jammu and Kashmir from India and its annexation to Pakistan. It is a continuation of the Islamic fundamentalist struggle.
Finally, I would like to thank all those who have contributed to FACT and help make the exhibition on Kashmiri Pandits in Delhi Habitat centre a success. We are pursuing our efforts. The exhibition will now travel to Bangalore end of August. Thereafter, on September 10th, we have been invited in Poland for a conference: “World without aggression”, which will take place the main Warsaw Congress Hall, which seats 3000 people, in the presence of the President of Poland and many VIP’s.
François Gautier
Mass creamation of Hindus in Kashmir
6 year old Seema, was the much loved and pampered daughter of 42 year old Jagannath. On the night of 8th June 1999 her life changed forever. At around 9pm men armed with knives and guns entered her house and took her father and 2 young brothers captive. Seema watched with frightened eyes as these terrorists started to torture her 17 year old brother Rishi. Jagannath begged the men to leave his sons alone and kill him instead. After torturing Rishi in front of his father they killed him. Then they took hold of 13 year old Rajender and holding his head down beheaded him with a knife. Seema’s father was treated the same way. And finally, they shot her mother before leaving the house. Seema watched dumbfolded with terror as her whole family was murdered in front of her eyes. No one knows why Seema’s life was spared. Left crying over the bodies of her family, she drifted off to sleep - alone with no one there to console her.
Sunil Koul Age: 14 Nagrota Camp
This migration has been forced upon minorities because they did not shake hands with militants supporting Pakistan. Migrants have suffered for being true Kashmiris and Indians.
Anchalla Baldev Pandit Age: 13 Battal Ballian Camp
The Pandits were forcibly torched and their female generation were cut down in pieces in handsaws. The Pandit politicians were killed and youths of this community were hanged up, the homes were burnt in ashes.
Anu Pandita Age: 14 Battal Ballian Camp
Will we remain always migrants? The word is blow on India and on whole nation which does not give proper justice to we people.
Mehak Pandita Age: 14 Muthi Camp
About 3.5 lakh Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave the valley due to the attacks on them by the Terrorists. Then in other states like Jammu etc there was not any kind of accommodation for them. They had no money no clothes and no shelter because they had left every thing in Kashmir. They were roaming here and there. There life became devastated. They became the refugees in their own country/state.
The Pandits have been the victims due to the loyalty of the Indian flag.
Akshay Raina Age: 10 Battal Ballian Camp
We have lost our mother Kashmir. We have forcibly thrown away by the Pakistani agents through the Kashmiri people.
Sometime my parents burst into tears saying about those facilities we had in Kashmir. Sometimes I enjoy these things but only in dreams and not in reality.
But I want to see all these in reality. I want to see how apple trees look likes and the apples hanging on the tree. I think how lucky the people are who are living in Kashmir and enjoy these things. I want to sit under the chinar tree, famous for its shade.
Kashmir is called the paradise of the world I think we had done some thing wrong due to which we have been dragged out from “heaven to hell”.
How unlucky we are that we being Kashmiri are not in position due to situations created, to go back to the heaven (Kashmir). I always pray to God that he may forgive our mistakes, if we have done any, due to which we have given such an unbearable and terrible punishment. Nishu Raina Age: 18 Mishriwalla Camp
The militants burnt the temples, houses etc. they killed many people whether they were men, women or a new born baby. They were very cruel and had no mercy on the poor people.
Due to spreading of terrorism very quickly all Kashmiri Pandits migrated from Kashmir to other part like Jammu, Delhi, Udampur, Kathua etc. But what was their fault. Why they have to leave their motherland?
They were killed only because they had burnt crackers and offered prayers in the nearby temples. But why?
The marriage of Bansilals daughter was after a few days, so her brother had come to Jammu to by some materials and invite the relatives to his sisters marriage. But he did not know that what was going to happen to his family. His sister was working in police dept. On this fateful day Bansilal’s daughter has just come from her daily work. But she did not know that this is last day of her life. In the midnight the cruel militants came and started firing. All the eighteen families came out of their houses. The militants asked them to stay in a line. After this they started shooting them one by one. Oh God!
By the grace of god the only one person who was killed was son of Bansi Lal. Now think what has happened to son when he had seen the dead bodies of his parents and his only sister who was going to be married after a few days and whom he loved very much.
Later on the government gave him three lakh rupees, but what was the use of this money as it costs nothing as compared to his family members including his sweet sister.
Shivani Raina Age: 16 Mishriwalla Camp
As per the constitution of India every citizen has the right to speech and to settle themselves while as Kashmiri Pandits who are the aborigines of the state of J&K are living a miserable life in the camps as well as non-camps.
Ashwani Bhat Age: 15 Purkhoo Camp
For a Kashmiri Pandit, Islamic terrorism has fell like hell on him which destroyed the basic roots of the Kashmiri Pandit community.
Archana Bhat Age: 13 Nagrota Camp
The repeated communal violence directed against this community harassed the members of this community to the point of demoralization The preposition before them was either to live under the perimeters set by the Muslim majority or leave the valley. The total political and the process of islamisation of the valley got impetus and assumed violent dimensions. The whole community left like living on the brink of volcano. They felt squeezed insecure and began to leave their homeland.
Manjoo Bhat Age: 14 Battal Ballian Camp
A minor section of Muslims of Kashmir got effected and they raised arms. Kashmiri Hindu became their target. Kashmiri Hindu suffered a great loss in the situation. Religious and political leaders of this section of the society were attacked and killed. There was general disorder.
Suneeta Kisroo Age: 13 Nagrota Camp
The Pandits have been approaching the United Nation year after year during their exile to represent their plight caused by ethnic cleansing which they were subjected to by Islamic fundamentalist & terrorists in Kashmir. However, the united nation has never made any specific reference for mitigating the security of troubles faced by the Pandits in the wake of the forced exodus from their ancestral land
Priyanka Rajput Age: 14 Mishriwalla Camp
The community, which was living in heaven of Kashmir valley, is living in slum camps having one room tenements where they cannot breathe properly. The dust, smoke, improper drainage system in camps has created great problems to Kashmiri Pandits. So many diseases are spreading day by day in these camps. The Pandits who are living in rented houses have lost their identity.
Secondly, the unemployment has created a great havoc in the Kashmiri Pandit. Hundreds of boys & girls who are well educated are unemployed.
Pooja Bhat Age: 14 Battal Ballian Camp
A storm of hatred spread all over the valley and every thing became frightful. A storm of antinational thinking came upon the valley. Hindus became Target of this storm. They were killed, looted and harassed. So many suffered death and hundreds lost their property. Thousands of Hindus managed to escape. We also left our homes unwillingly and reached here.
Ankita Bhat Age: 14 Battal Ballian Camp
My parents used to wake with the sweet musical notes of singing birds but I wakeup with the cacophony of means of transport and hawkers.
In fact Kashmiri Hindu has lost every thing due to the exile. It is not only the living style that has got effected but our culture and religion have got a great set back. We are unable to keep our customs and culture in touch. The young children born in exile do not know any thing about their hereditary customs and culture.
The time is not far away when our custom, tradition, religion and language will be only in stories told by our grand parents.
Shivani Bhat Age: 16 Mishriwalla Camp
The victims of this cold war were the Kashmiri Pandits. They left their movable and in-movable properties in the valley and left to other states empty handed. Their (Kashmiri Pandits) houses were burnt into ashes. The houses were looted and destroyed by terrorists. Some foreign terrorists along with locals were also involved in this game and the Victims were none other than Kashmiri Pandits.
In Kashmir Pakistan wants to be totally Islamic state called Nizami-Mustafan, which means only Muslims can live in this state. No other religion is to be tolerated in the state like Hindus or Sikhs. So the people of both religions were tortured, killed, hanged. Their residential houses were burnt into ashes.
Bhipen Bhat Age: 13 Battal Ballian Camp
In the past when Kashmiri Hindu was forced to vacate the valley, they had to hide identity lest they should fall in the hands of their enemies. In these critical conditions this race lived.
Preeti Koul Age: 15 Muthi Camp
I was just 3 months old and to see the paradise remain a dream in my eyes and after a lapse 15 years my family is waiting for rehabilitation, which has not been extended so far. The things for which my family as well as our community has been punished is yet a question for me to understand.
In these 15 years we have suffered a lot and wandered from door to door. Since this period so many Governments have changed and the issue of Kashmiri Pandits remained a point of discussion only. Hon'ble leaders are visiting to our migrant camps and are showing fully sympathy towards our community. But when the vote bank goes in their pockets and they reach in the parliament/assembly halls everything is thrown in the wastebaskets.
In these hardships my father is extending every helping hand for my studies and wants to see his children stand on their feet. Whether the hardships of my father can fulfill my dream of life or not it will be decided by the time.
Priyanka Ganjoo Age: 16 Muthi Camp
The term migration is misnomer/undesirable and uncalled for. As a matter of fact migration means to migrate from one place to another willfully. But the Kashmiri Hindus are not the migrants
Anil Tikoo Age: 16 Muthi Camp
First and foremost is the need to restore mutual trust between the two communities, Muslim and Pandits. For this Kashmiri Muslim have to make the first moves by publicly accepting that the manners in which KPs were forced to leaves their homes was unjust, perhaps even unislamic. In order that the sentiments may carry conviction it is necessary that the sentiments be broadcast on the public address system of the mosque in the valley since that medium was specifically used to instill fear in the minds of the Pandits which prompted their exodus in the first place.
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