Jammu, Jan 19:
On the solemn occasion of ‘Holocaust Day,’ Babita Bhat, the Chairperson of the Kashyap Mar Parishad (KMP), led a significant initiative to personally engage with the Kashmiri Pandit migrant community. She visited their homes to understand the persistent pain, challenges, and struggles they continue to endure, nearly three and a half decades after their forced exile.
In her statement, Babita Bhat emphasized the mission of KMP to compile a comprehensive document that addresses the myriad of problems facing the Kashmiri Pandit (KP) community. The aim is to reach out to every individual in the community, listen to their stories, and gather their viewpoints, ultimately compiling a thorough report detailing the atrocities, attacks, massacres, and ongoing hardships experienced by the KPs.
“The goal of KMP is not just to gather voices but to ensure that every individual’s pain is recognized and documented. We are dedicated to speaking to every person in our community to understand their grievances. Only then can we form a complete document that sheds light on the terror we have faced over the years,” Babita Bhat said.
Reflecting on the tragic events of January 19, 1990, she poignantly recalled the horrors faced by the Kashmiri Pandit community on that fateful night. She stated, “An entire community was systematically hunted, terrorized, and driven into exile in a premeditated campaign of ethnic cleansing. Radical Islamic elements, separatists, and pan-Islamic forces, supported by semi-separatist political groups and an overwhelming majority of the Kashmiri Muslim population, unleashed a wave of terror. Our lives were shattered, and our homes became prisons of fear, as hate-filled slogans echoed through the air, calling for our death, abduction, or exile.”
Babita Bhat stressed that the violence was not a random or isolated outburst, but a meticulously planned effort to erase the Kashmiri Pandit community from the valley—a community that had been the spiritual and cultural backbone of Kashmir for over 5,000 years. “We were not targeted due to political differences. We were targeted because of our identity, faith, and culture. The attack on us was not an isolated incident; it was part of a larger, orchestrated effort to erase a community from its homeland,” she explained.
The pain of the exodus continues to echo through the lives of the displaced Kashmiri Pandits, with the memories of that tragic period still fresh in the minds of many. Babita Bhat expressed her deep sorrow over the fact that, despite enduring 34 years of exile, the Kashmiri Pandit community sees no end to their suffering. She lamented that the atrocities committed against them have gone unpunished, with no substantial judicial inquiries or accountability for the genocide and forced exodus.
“There is no justice, and there is no closure. The perpetrators of these heinous crimes have not been held accountable, and the wounds of the community continue to fester without any formal recognition of the genocide that took place,” she said, clearly expressing her frustration and disillusionment with the lack of action from the authorities.
The KMP’s ongoing efforts to highlight the community’s plight are driven by a deep sense of responsibility to preserve the history and culture of the Kashmiri Pandit community, while also pushing for justice, accountability, and the recognition of their suffering. Babita Bhat reiterated the importance of continuing the struggle for justice, reminding everyone that “until justice is served, the pain of exile will continue to haunt us.”
The observance of Holocaust Day was not just a remembrance of the past but a call to action for the future. KMP’s initiative to document the community’s suffering and bring attention to the ongoing challenges faced by displaced Kashmiri Pandits serves as a vital step in ensuring that their voices are heard, and their struggle for justice remains at the forefront of public consciousness.
As the Kashmiri Pandit community continues to fight for justice and recognition, the efforts of organizations like KMP, led by Babita Bhat, stand as a beacon of hope for those seeking closure and reparation for the atrocities they have endured. The struggle for justice and the right to return home remains as urgent and necessary as ever.
