As per official records, 219 Kashmiri Pandits were killed in insurgency that hit its peak in the Valley in the early 1990s; Over two decades later, there hasn't been any single conviction in these cases

Jammu, June 5
For an outsider, Kashmir is a paradise on earth. But in its bosom, the Valley hides stories of betrayal and massacres. Efforts have been made to bury the truth under politically correct labels, including the "tragic exodus" of Kashmiri Pandits. But for over 3.50 lakh members of the community, the wounds of the insurgency have refused to heal.

The state government data says nearly 219 community members were killed (500 according to Pandits' associations) in the insurgency that hit its peak in the early 1990s. Though there has been a lot of talk about the rehabilitation of Pandits in the last 25 years, the fact remains that there hasn't been a single conviction in these cases.

Political parties have always been quick to term Pandits as 'inseparable part' of Kashmir, but no government has made any sincere efforts to identify and prosecute killers, say Pandits' organisations. Several KP intellectuals, poets and lawyers were gunned down by insurgents. These included prominent political figures, Tika Lal Taploo, Justice Neel Kanth Ganjoo, poet Sarwanand Koul 'Premi' and his son, advocate Prem Nath Bhat, Lassa Koul (Director, Doordarshan Kendra - Srinagar) and many others. The displaced community is very sceptical about their fate. "There is no guarantee that terrorists won't target us again if we return to the Valley," says Veer Saraf, a social activist.

"Those responsible for making Kashmiri Pandits homeless have not been prosecuted in all these years. It's ironic that not even a single judicial inquiry has been initiated in the past two decades," says Saraf.

CM Omar Abdullah has been talking about constituting Truth and Reconciliation Commission to look into events leading to militancy. The community members have welcomed any such move to pinpoint those responsible for KPs' exodus.

"There was ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits marked by the selective killing of members of the community. This has been even acknowledged by the National Human Right Commission (NHRC). No one has been prosecuted. Even former terrorist Bitta Karate who had admitted to killing more than 22 Pandits is roaming free," said K.N Pandita, a prominent human rights activist.

“Terrorists saw us as obstacle in the path of their agenda to secede from India and merge with Pakistan. So, we were selectively targeted and forced to leave Kashmir. Even our neighbours told us that they cannot guarantee our safety. It's important to tackle the security issue before formulating any return plan,” says Vithal Choudhary, a community member.