Author:
Publication: Kashmir Sentinel
Date: March 31, 2004
Religious cleansing of the Hindu
minority has robbed Kashmir of its image as a tolerant society. Secular
breakdown in the only Muslim-majority province of India has serious implications
for Kashmiri Muslim leadership as well as Indian state. Nehru had once
warned. "The problem of Kashmir is whether it continues as a secular state
as the rest of India or not. This affects the whole of India because secularism
in India also has not got such firm foundation, as I would like to have.
Anything happening in Kashmir will undoubtedly affect the rest of India
with its vast Muslim population".
Extirpation of the Kashmiri Hindus
has created embarrassment for Indian state on two counts. It sets a dangerous
precedent. Secondly, it exposes its vulnerability to protect its own citizens.
The treatment meted out to Hindu
minorities in Pakistan, Bangladesh and now the wholesale cleansing of Hindus
from Kashmir have contributed to the Hindu anger. Kashmiri Muslim leaderships
crisis for secular credibility is bound to deepen, once Jihadist hysteria
passes off. This leadership is caught in a dilemma. It does not want reversal
of genocide, yet it wants to be bestowed with secular, credibility. Despite
attempts at bribery, defections and intimidation, the general mass of the
Displaced Pandit community has stood its ground in denying this credibility.
There is strong nationalist anger
on the protracted homelessness of Kashmiri Pandits. To deflect this anger
the Kashmiri Muslim leadership and its males in Indian Civil Society have
embarked on a massive disinformation campaign on the issue of return of
Pandits. It has floated many myths. Some of these are:
Myth 1: Pandits return will lead
to normality
Reality: Normality will lead to
return of Displaced Kashmiri Hindus. Return in insecure conditions will
thwart both short term and long-term return of Pandits.
Myth 2: Return of Pandits cannot
wait till normalcy is returned
Reality: Return under coercion will
only invite massacres further demoralize Pandits. Also return in this situation
will keep Pandits hostage to separatist politics. They would be forced
to buy immunity from terrorists and fanatics.
Myth 3: Kashmiri Pandits are not
willing to go back. They sold off their property and better off.
Reality: Kashmiri Pandits are not
against return. They are opposed to state Govt's sham return process-a
process which focuses on tokenist symbolic return under coercion. Displaced
pandits want an action plan that would create conditions for the return
of the entire community to Kashmir with fully restored social and political
rights. They do not want to go to Kashmir for expediency purposes so that
Government can claim normalcy has been restored or bail out Muslim-dominated
State Govermnent from its secular commitments. Pandits want to return to
live there on a permanent basis as a matter of right choice.
The Muslim argument that Pandits
do not want to go back looks sinister. 'The objective is absolve itself
of the charge of ethnic cleansing and yet put the onus on Pandits that
they are not interested to return. In fact, the displaced Pandit community
has been camping in Jammu for only reason that some day it will be able
to, go back to their homeland. Kashmiri Hindus have been compelled to go
for distress sale of their property, because their property has been under
threat of grab from locals and the State Government was unwilling to act
against unlawful occupants. Pandits are not better off in exile. Disintegration
of the family and society, serious affliction with disease and high number
of matrimonial disputes due to extreme financial and social insecurity
are threatening the very fabric of Pandit society
Myth 4: PDP government is committed
to return of Displaced Kashmiris.
Reality: This government is creating
obstacles for the return of Pandit community. It is pursuing politics of
hate, intimidation and discrimination against displaced Pandits. By hastening
administrative cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus from state services through
ban on the recruitment and creating situation fore premature retirement
of Pandits it is facilitating total exile of Kashmiri Hindus from J&K
state. It has not acted to vacate the forcibly occupied business premises,
residential and land holdings, shrines belonging to the community. This
government has not undertaken any political mobilization on the return
issue in the Valley proper itself. Its priorities are not the return and
welfare and return of Kashmiri Hindus but opening of Uri-Muzaffarabad road,
rehabilitation deals for separatists and for Valley's Muslims. Where do
Pandits return to-with no jobs, no houses a communal society, with ever
pervasive threat of gunmen hanging around and a hostile administration.
The P DP government instead of undertaking confidence-building measures
is trying to intimidate the displaced community. In place of genuine dialogue,
it is trying to create disarray in Pandit camp through defections, bribery
etc. This government looks at Pandits return from 'religious tourism' point
of view only. Return stick is brandished simply to intimidate the community.
Myth 5: Phased return will be a
step towards return
Reality: Phased return policy is
simply to fudge the return issue and divert attention from the conditions
necessary for total rehabilitation of the community.
The PDP government is playing a
diabolical game. To the nation, it says only a section of camp people and
villagers are willing to go back. To the local Muslims, it seeks a line
that return of some doctors and teachers will, help them and they too will
ultimately leave Kashmir after retirement.
This policy is also aimed to secure
premature retirement of displaced Hindus and grabbing central funds for
personal -aggrandizement.
Through the phased return policy,
the PDP government wants to block the return of Pandit community and yet
earn secular credibility.
Myth 6: Discussions on the core
issues linked to exodus and rehabilitation have no relevance to return
of Pandits.
Reality: Without addressing the
genesis of exodus, no return is possible. If issues linked to Pandits'
ethnic cleansing connivance of locals, communalization and Fundamentalisation
of Kashmir's social milieu subversion in administration, perpetual terrorist
threat etc. are not tackled how can return take place. An action plan on
return has to address: a) threat perception b) Displaced Pandits rights
and identity c) Law and Order loopholes d) Political structures under which
victimized Pandits would have to live. Return plan has to be linked with
reversal of genocide.
Myth 7: Vested interests among displaced
Pandits are stalling the process of return.
Reality: It is the Muslim vested
interest that covets the property, shrines, jobs, promotions of Pandits
and its committed to an Islamic state, which is opposed to return of Pandits.
It is the PDP government, which is stalling the process of return by not
acting against this vested interest.
Myth 8: If employees from Jammu
can go and work in Kashmir valley, why not Kashmiri Pandits.
Reality: Kashmiri Hindus in Valley
are the targets of ethnic cleansing at the hands of Islamists. Separatists
have not targeted employees from Jammu for two reasons. One, these employees
will return after completion of tenure, and do not form part of Kashmiri
society. Secondly, it could generate a backlash. Return of Pandit employee
is visualized as return of the community. Hence Pandit employees are vulnerable.
Pandit employees are part of the community and can return only as part
of the same.
Myth 9: Despite ethnic cleansing
Pandits continue to stay in Valley
Reality: The terrorists allowed
a symbolic presence of Pandits to stay on for exploiting it for propaganda
purposes at global and other levels. These four thousand odd Pandits are
deprived of political and cultural choice and have to live at the mercy
of separatists and other rabid elements. Even then massacres have been
occurring at regular intervals, as and when it suits the terrorists. In
some cases, conversions have also been reported. In other cases, few members
of the family have chosen to stay on, while others have moved out to Jammu.
In today's Kashmir, Pandits can live only in perpetual insecurity with
diluted nationalist and religious profile.
Myth 10: Muslim goodwill is necessary
for Pandits' return
Reality: Nation's strong commitment
and Indian states political will is imperative for Pandits' return.
Myth 11: Pandits are divided, so
no return policy is possible.
Reality: There is total consensus
among Displaced Pandits on crucial issues of survival, return and reversal
of genocide. It is the Muslim dominated state government which is trying
to create through bribery and defections as many groups as possible with
an agenda, which works against the interests of Displaced Pandits
Myth 12: Not only Pandits but Muslims
have also left the Valley. So return plan has to address both the aspects.
Reality: Pandits have been targeted as a community through a process of
genocide. Their return is possible only by reversing the genocide. Muslims
have been targeted as individuals or in few cases as families for reasons,
which range from inter-group rivalry, as informers or due to the criminalisation
aspect of the terrorist campaign. They have been going, back as and when
threat perception minimized or they could obtain immunity from terrorists.
Return plan has no relevance for Displaced Muslims.
Myth 13: Linking deprivations with
return will act as incentive for return.
Reality: It has no relevance for
return. It only reflects the sadistic attitude to further pauperize the
community and deepen its misery. In fact, addressing deprivations in exile
would work as a confidence building measure and lend credibility to the
state government.
Myth 14: Kashmiri Muslims are fed
up with violence and yearn for return of Kashmiriat.
Reality: If this were true, how
do three thousand-odd terrorists continue to operate and strike at will.
Locals continue to oppose return of Pandits. There has been no worthwhile
campaign in media, or public mobilization on the issue of Pundits return
by either the common Muslim or its political leadership.
Myth 15: Ultimately the state government
has to tackle the issue of Pandits return
Reality: As long as the Muslim-dominated
state government continues to handle Displaced Pandits, neither the issue
of reversal of genocide nor return can be addressed. It has been looking
at these issues from the viewpoint of its political expediency. All the
mainstream political parties in Kashmir have been trying to out do one
another in competitive communalism and separatism. Addressing problems
of Displaced Pandits or the return of Pandit community works against their
political interests. It is only the Central government that can tackle
the issue of genocide and return imaginatively.
