Victim: Kashmiri Pandits were never a votebank, hence no parties helped us

New Delhi: The new movie, directed by Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri – 'The Kashmir Files' not only sparked a new controversy in many sectors of the society, but also skillfully narrated the trauma, estrangement and exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in the 1990s. At the same time, it exposes that the community is still grappling for true reconciliation.

"The movie touched the reality and depicts the pain we faced in the Valley 32 years ago," said 54-year Vijay Raina, who was then forced to leave his house and property in the year 1990 when the exodus and genocide of his fellow Kashmiri Pandits took place.

While narrating the atrocious experience, Raina told the Millennium Post, "We were crying while watching the movie, the mass execution by the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) which was shown in the movie has refreshed our wounds. This movie is very close to every Kashmiri Pandit's life."

The experience that the Kashmiri Pandits had gone through during leaving their native places, should also be narrated in its sequel. In tearful eyes, Raina said, "Our elders used to cry always, some of them lost their eyesight, some of their memory became weak... The victim families, sheltered in the migrant camp here were not even provided with a blanket to wrap during the winter."

While narrating his experience, Raina said it all started in 1989 when he was a 22-year-old youth living in Habba Kadal City in Kashmir. He faced a bomb explosion while going to the local market to buy the daily needs for his family. He also received a major injury in his leg during the explosion.

"During the following year- 1990, the atmosphere gradually became unconducive that Pandits were clueless over the next day," he claimed.

Vijay's Father Bhaskar Nath Raina was working as a Deputy Director in Doordarshan Kashmir who used to accompany the office with Director Doordarshan Lassa Kaul. Despite rich security, Kaul was shot dead and a fatwa was issued in the mosque that the Raina family also has to be killed. Meanwhile, his house was surrounded by the militants of JKLF, however, his family was helped by some neighbours to escape from the Valley, covered in a curtain cloth in the night at about 11.30.

"We had a huge apple garden and a luxurious house in Kashmir, now we have heard that our house has been occupied and a mosque has been built in the place of the garden," emotional Vijay Raina said.

Raina and his family, are currently living in Mayur Vihar Phase- III of East Delhi. Accusing the current chairman of JKLF Farooq Ahmad Dar aka Bitta Karate, Vijay Raina said he killed his childhood friend Satish Tikku as he was a religious boy.

"The situation was breathtaking most of the families were separated. Somehow I reached Khonmoh near Pampore where a saffron businessman sheltered me and gave me food. The next day when I left his place his wife gave me a saffron flower for good luck. But after some time, I was stunned when I heard the news of their killing," Raina said with tears in his eyes.

"We always hailed "Hindustan Zindabad" but no government helped us when we needed it the most, the reason was Kashmiri Pandits were never a votebank for any political party. But one thing we are proud of ourselves is that even in the worst condition no Kashmiri Pandit has ever begged or taken up arms," Raina said.