27 yrs since exodus, Kashmiri Pandits yearn for homeland

Twenty-seven years have passed ever since Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) were forced to flee the homeland but the people of the state, who are living as migrants across India, are hopeful that one day they would have a ‘respectful’ return to the Valley - the place where their heart resides.

Members of the All Parties Migrants Coordination Committee  (APMCC) staged a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Tuesday. The protest holds significance as the Committee has resolved not to hold weddings or any other family function on September 14 and January 19, as part of their efforts to “keep alive” their struggle for “native soil”.  

“There would be no wedding, birthdays or celebrations in the families of Kashmiri Pundits on these two days. We want the next generation to be acquainted with the story and history of our struggle. We chose the two days to keep alive the memories of the community and to stir the exile consciousness among our next generation,” said Ravindra Pundit, president of APMCC.

The Committee has already adopted September 14 as its ‘Martyrs’ Day’ in memory of those who lost their lives in exodus from the Valley in 1989 when separatists started killing and throwing out KPs out of the state. January 19 marks the beginning of the community’s mass exodus from J&K in the wake of militancy.

Neeraj Tikoo, 50, said: “We have suffered for so many years. No political party in the country has dared to solve our problem. We only have hope from our PM Narendra Modi, but things are not going well. We hope he fulfills the expectations of Kashmiri Pandits.” “We are not tourists, we want our home back. The government should constitute a committee to draw the roadmaps for our return.” said Vishal Sharma of APMCC.

However, actor Anupam Kher, who has been taking up the issue as he himself has suffered exodus in the state, gave a miss to the stage. However, he expressed his solidarity through a video message, wherein he is seen highlighting the “brutal killings of KPs” that led to their mass exodus from the Valley.