Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Feb 26:
Maha Shivratri is a sacred festival for Hindus, especially for the Kashmiri Pandit community, which has been suffering from exile for over 35 years. This festival, once celebrated with great devotion in the Valley, is now observed in different states and even in rented houses, far from their homeland. The question remains—what was their mistake? Why were they forced to leave their ancestral land?
Rajni Sethi, Spokesperson , J&K BJP along with Rajiv Pandita, president, Displaced District BJP was addressing a Press Conference at party headquarters, Trikuta Nagar, Jammu.
A significant development took place recently when Congress leader Sajjan Kumar was sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the 1984 Sikh riots. This historical decision brings some hope for justice, proving that those guilty of communal violence cannot escape the law forever. However, this raises an important question: why has justice been delayed for the Kashmiri Pandits, who were subjected to mass killings, rapes, and forced exodus in the late 1980s and early 1990s? The National Conference (NC) government in Jammu and Kashmir has been in power for the past four months, yet it remains silent on the brutal genocide and forced displacement of the Kashmiri Pandit community. Why is there no effort to investigate the events leading to their exodus, which began as early as February 1986 in Anantnag, when Hindu temples were burned? At that time, the state was ruled by GM Shah of the NC-Congress alliance, and a well-planned conspiracy was set in motion to drive Kashmiri Pandits out of the Valley. Reports suggest that journalists and intelligence agencies had warned the central government about the brewing communal unrest, yet no action was taken. The brutal assassinations of prominent Kashmiri Pandits such as Tika Lal Taploo, P.N. Bhat, and Neelkanth Ganjoo, along with countless others who were murdered or subjected to horrific violence, remain unresolved. The NC government, which now claims to support the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley, must first prove its sincerity by forming a committee and publishing a white paper on those responsible for their suffering. The perpetrators of this genocide must be identified and brought to justice, just as Sajjan Kumar was punished for his crimes.
It is unrealistic to expect Kashmiri Pandits to return to their homeland without concrete assurances of safety, justice, and accountability. The wounds of their exodus are deep, and mere words will not heal them. The government must take bold steps by identifying and punishing those responsible for the violence of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The guilty should not just receive life sentences but the severest punishment—death—for their heinous crimes against humanity.
If the NC government truly wants Kashmiri Pandits to return, it must prove its commitment by ensuring justice first. Without accountability, the promises of peace and reconciliation will remain hollow. The Kashmiri Pandit community has suffered long enough; now, they deserve justice, dignity, and the right to live in their homeland without fear.
