Ethnic Cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits through Genocide since 7th Exodus of 1990

Ethnic Cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits through Genocide since 7th Exodus of 1990

Kashmiri Pandits

Last year, I wrote a letter after an online interaction with a very young Kashmiri from the majority community. I wrote it in all sincerity, for, it pained me to find a young and obviously bright Kashmiri having no idea about the History of Kashmir. The letter was read by a lot of people and many of them, from across the country, wrote back saying that it helped them get an idea about the seventh Kashmiri Pandit Exodus, to some extent.

Today, am driven to write this post after having spotted a not so Azim proclamation by Junaid Mattu. His brazen-faced massacre of truth makes it clear that there is a nefarious plan underway to entirely obliterate the history of Kashmir. What Junaid Mattu, a descendant of Kashmiri Hindu ancestors, would like you to forget, is the genocide of Kashmiri Hindus (Pandits)!

Kashmiri Pandits tweet

He is fabricating an atrocious lie to somehow make the world overlook, and plain forget, the Ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus through genocide by Islamofascists who have been peddling Separatism in Kashmir. If he can lie about this and the seventh Kashmiri Pandit Exodus which occurred just 27 years ago, one shudders to imagine what he and those like him can do and could have been doing to History!

This might refresh his fading memory:

March 14th 1989

Prabhavati from Nawagari, Chadoora in Budgam district was killed at Hari Singh High Street on March 14, 1989.

Sept 14th 1989

Prominent Kashmiri Pandit social activist and advocate Pt. Tika Lal Taploo was shot dead in his house in Habba Kadal.

October 1989

Justice (Retd) Neelkantha Ganjoo was shot at close range and killed.

31st October 1989

47 years old Sheela Koul (Tikoo), from Dalhasanyar, died when she was shot in the chest and head.

1st December 1989

Ajay Kapoor, a resident of Maharaj Gunj, Srinagar was sprayed with bullets by terrorists in full public view.

27th December 1989

57 years old, Advocate Prem Nath Bhatt of Anantnag was killed in front of many onlookers.

15th January 1990

M.L. Bhan,a government employee, from Khonmoh, Srinagar, was killed. Baldev Raj Dutta, an operator in Lal Chowk, Srinagar, was kidnapped and his brutally tortured body recovered four days later, on January 19, 1990, at Nai Sarak, Srinagar.

Jan 25th

1990 Squadron Leader Ravi Khanna and his colleagues were waiting at the Rawalpura bus stand for an Indian Air Force bus to take them to the airport when a Maruti Gypsy and a two-wheeler carrying four to five JKLF terrorists surrounded them and fired a hail of bullets from AK 47s. Sqn Ldr Khanna and 13 other IAF men fell to the ground. Three died with Khanna, and 10 were injured. Yasin Malik has admitted to this killing in an interview with Tim Sebastian. He was then area commander of JKLF working under chief commander Ishafaq Wani. He has defended the killings saying that the IAF personnel were not innocent victims but the agents of the ‘enemy’.

1st February 1990

Krishen Gopal Berwa, a central government employee and Romesh Kumar Thussu, a state government employee of Trehgam, Kupwara, were gunned down.

February 2 1990

Satish Kumar Tickoo, a young Kashmiri Pandit, was shot at point blank range by a group of people led by Farooq Ahmad Dar (alias Bitta Karate).

13th February 1990

Director Doordarshan Lassa Kaul was murdered when information about his movement was allegedly leaked one of his colleagues. On the same day, Rattan Lal of Rawalpora, working in military engineering service (MES), a purely civilian organisation, was also killed.

16th February 1990

Anil Bhan was killed by Farook Ahmed Dar, aka Bitta Karate, who’s responsible for the killing of thirty four Kashmiri Pandits.

23rd February 1990

Ashok Kazi was accosted and shot in the knees, kicked into and drain and pissed upon. As he waited for his agonising death, few more shots were fired to kill him.

27th February 1990

Naveen Sapru was shot near the Habba Kadal bridge. The murderers then danced around him and as he lay breathing his last, the ‘innocent’ onlookers threw shireen as him as if he were already dead.

1st March 1990

P N Handoo of information department was killed and Tej Kishen of Badgam hanged to death.

18th March 1990

RN Handoo, Personal Assistant to Governor, was killed outside the gate of his house at Narsinghgarh, Srinagar, on just as he was about to board the official vehicle to take him to his office.

19th March 1990

B K Ganju was killed when his muslim neighbour gave away his hideout to the terrorists.

20th March 1990

A K Raina, Deputy Director, Food and Supplies, was murdered in his office at Srinagar. As he lay dying, his subordinates stood silently watching the macabre proceedings.

10th April 1990

H. L. Khera, the General Manager of H.M.T. was shot dead by terrorists in Srinagar.

19th April 1990

Sarla Bhat was gang-raped by a number of Muslims, stripped naked and murdered brazenly. Her dead body was thrown on the roadside in full view of the public. 24th April 1990 45 years old Bansi Lal Sapru of Gulab Bagh, Srinagar was accosted by his neighbours and killed by pumping three bullets into him at close range.

24th April 1990

Ravinder Kumar Pandita of Mattan, Anantnag was shot dead at close range on his way back home. As he fell dead, the killers danced over his dead body in glee.

27th April 1990

Brij Nath Shah, kidnapped from his home in Sadhu Ganga, Kupwara was found dead two days later with his lips stitched.

30th April 1990

Sarwanand Koul `Premi’ and his son, Virender, Koul were taken away from their home and two days later their dead bodies were found hanging, with their limbs broken, hairs uprooted, and portions of their skin slit open and burnt.

May 1990

Shyam Lal of Chiragam, Anantnag had his hands and feet chopped off and skull battered after being kidnapped. His remains were stuffed into a sack and deposited on the threshold of his house.

2nd May 2 1990

Prof. KL Ganju had six bullets pumped into his body. His corpse was kept in the local mosque for the night and then thrown into the river. According to one of the assassins who was arrested later, Mrs. Ganju, too, was ruthlessly killed and her corpse was tied with a stone and thrown into the Jhelum. But since her dead body was never found, once can never be certain about what exactly happened to her.

2nd May 1990

23 years old Surinder Kumar Raina son of Jia Lal Raina working as a liftman in the SKIMS, Soura was kidnapped in front of cheering and dancing onlookers and then killed on Ali Jan Road .

13th May 1990

27 years old Ashok Kumar, son of Bhasker Nath, from Pulwama was kidnapped by Hizb terrorists who broke his hands and feet, dragged him to the main crossing of the town, plucked out his eye-balls with iron rods and killed with a burst of bullets in the presence of hundreds of cheering onlookers, one of whom was chanting “Islam is glorious and great”. On the same day, in another part of the valley, Veer Ji Bhat, son of D.N.Bhat, a junior engineer in the state irrigation department posted at Shopian, was sprayed with bullets. Despite bleeding profusely he caught hold of one of the terrorists when the other terrorists, armed to the teeth, sprayed more bullets on him, before making good their escape.

16th May 1990

Bushan Lal Koul, son of Shridhar Koul, a government employee and a resident of Amnoo village, not far from Kulgam, Anantnag, was kidnapped by HM terrorists and strangulated to death with a steel wire.

18th May 1990

27 years old Manmohan Bachloo, son of Janki Nath Bachloo, of Qazihama, Baramulla, a postal assistant in the postal department Karnah had come home on a holiday. A childhood friend asked him out for tea and led him to a shop where his other accomplices shot him at point-blank range.

19th May 1990

Dilip Kumar, son of Mohan Lal hailing from Mujamarag, Shopian was dragged out of his home by Muslim terrorists. Dilip’s teeth were hammered out and twelve bullets pumped into him His dead body was hung from a tree with a letter pinned on his chest daring anyone to lift it and get a prize of a lakh of rupees.

27th May 27 1990

Prem Nath of Uttarsu in Anantag district was kidnapped and subsequently impaled by being nailed on the chest and feet.

4th June 1990

Girija Tickoo in Bandipora was abducted and blindfolded.Then four men took turns raping her. When she identified one of them by his voice, the men fearing identification took her to a wood processing unit and mechanically sawed her alive. Sometime later, almost a similar fate befell Kumari Babli and her mother Smt. Roopwati of Pulwama.

June 1990

Ashwani Kumar injured by terrorists bullets was refused a vehicle for transportation to the hospital. When he was finally rushed to the hospital, the doctors refused to treat him and he succumbed to his injuries.

22nd June 1990

Balkrishen Tutoo of Habba Kadal, Srinagar, an officer in agriculture department, was critically wounded pleading terrorists who had barged into his house to abduct and kill his brother. He succumbed to his injuries due to lack of medical attention. On the same day 52 years old Makhan Lal Raina, a medical resident posted at a dispensary at Khan Sahib in Badgam district, hailing from Kharyar, Srinagar was picked up from his dispensary, tortured in the most brutal manner and finally shot dead. His dead body was said to have been chopped into pieces. The mutilated body was eventually recovered from Dardpora in Badgam.

30th June 1990

59 years old Raj Nath Dhar, son of Dina Nath Dhar, from Qutub-ub-din Pora, Alikadal, Srinagar, was shot at and died due to lack of medical aid and attention.

7th July 1990

Gopi Nath Raina, son of Govind Ram Raina, of Manigam, Ganderbal was conveniently labeled an informer and shot dead in his own shop by HM cadres. On the same day, Dina Nath Mujoo, a 70-year old theosophist who contributed immensely towards educating the Muslim youth of Fateh Kadal, was stabbed ruthlessly by terrorists who barged into his house in the dead of night and decapitated him.

15th July 1990

Shiban Kishen Koul, son of Radha Krishen Koul of Ashmuji, Kulgam, Anantnag, was slaughtered by his close neighbours on the uneven and pot-holed track of his native village on. His father too was slaughtered the next day, i.e., July 16, 1990, in the same manner.

26th July 1990

61 years old ex-serviceman Autar Singh, son of Fateh Singh, of Saimnoo in Kulagam district of Kashmir, working with Hindustan Petroleum in Pulwama was suspected of being a Mukhbir and shot dead by armed Muslim terrorists.

13th August 1990

Babli Raina of Sopore, a teacher by profession, was gang-raped in her house in presence of her family members.

17th August 1990

Chand Ji Kher, the sound teenaged son of Dina Nath Kher, and a resident of Vessu, Anantnag was killed after he went out of his house on being called by his Muslim friends.

6th October 1990

Prof DP Khazanchi, son of Damodar Khazanchi, of Kani Kadal, had three bullets pumped into him, killing him on the spot. On the same day, Zinda Lal Pandita, son of Prakash Ram Pandita, of Bagatpora, Handwara was kidnapped from his residence and brutally strangulated to death with a steel wire in a nearby orchard by JKLF murderers.

7th October 1990

Jagan Nath Pandita, son of Ganesh Nath Pandita of Bagatpora, Handwara, was kidnapped from his house and taken to his own orchard, where he too was strangulated with steel wire. His killing took place during the intervening night of 7th and 8th October 1990.

12th October 1990

47 years old Pushker Nath Razdan, son of Tika Lal Razdan, a resident of Khonmuha, in Pulwama district, was assassinated by HM Jihadis who barged into his house at night.

15th October 1990

Maheshwar Nath Bhat, son of Zana Bhat,, of Hazuri Bagh, Srinagar. was killed when armed terrorists barged into his house seeking his son-in-law who had hid himself in the house.

2nd January 1991

Omkar Nath Wali, son of Parmanand Wali, a resident of Chak-i-Rajwati, Vessu in Anantnag district was an assistant sub inspector of Police, posted at District Police Lines, Anantnag. He was kidnapped and shot dead in cold blood. It was later revealed that his own colleagues in the police department had hatched a conspiracy for his murder in connivance with the terrorists of JKLF.

8th August 1991

Asha Koul was abducted from Achabal, Anantnag, and taken to an abandoned house of a Kashmiri Pandit in Srinagar where she was gang-raped for many days and then tortured to death. Her body was found later in a decomposed state in that very house on August 26, 1991.

26th August 1991

20 years old Surinder Kumar Koul of Batagund, Handwara, was kidnapped by his friends and, after endless torture, shot to death at Langet.

18th October 1991

Kanya Lal Peshin, son of Kanth Ram Peshin of Pazalpora, Bandipora, a poor farmer who barely managed to survive on his measely income was kidnapped from his house at 9 P.M. and taken three kilometers away from his village where he was subjected to brutal torture. Pins were driven into his nails and finally, a metre length piece of cloth was stuffed into his mouth to stifle him to death. His dead body was later found at Ajar, Bandipora.

31st March 1992

Bimla Braroo of Nai Sarak, Srinagar, and her daughter, Archana were raped in the presence of her husband, Sohan Lal, before all three were killed.

24th June 1990

25 years old Ashwani Garyali son of Shambu Nath Garyali’s from Chhatabal, Srinagar, was shot army 5 masked intruders after accusing him of being an informer. He died upon being denied medical care.

16th June 1991

Rajinder Tickoo from Batpora, Shopian, who worked in the accounts department of Shopian Hospital accounts was hit by four bullets. His body was cremated by his disconsolate father himself as there was no priest available.

June 1991

Brij lal Kaul and his wife Chhoti from village Harman, Shopian, were tied behind a jeep and dragged and then shot dead. Their mangled bodies were recovered 10 kilometres away

21st – 22nd March 1997

Seven Kashmiri Pandits were massacred during the night at Sangrampora village in Budgam. Terrorists dragged them out of their houses and gunned them down.

25th January 1998

23 Kashmiri Pandits, including women and children, were shot in cold blood in Wandhama Village.

24th March 2003

24 Kashmiri Pandits, including infants, were brutally shot dead in Nadimarg Village.

The Seventh Exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, which began in 1990, saw many innocents being mercilessly killed. Scores of Kashmiri Pandit bodies, drowned in River Jhelum, were found floating. Many dead bodies, with hands and feet tied, were recovered from different parts the valley. There were instances of victims having been branded with hot iron while still alive or having had their eyes gouged out.

These selective killings formed a part of the carefully crafted strategy of ethnic cleaning through genocide. And this is one Truth that Junaid and other such apologists of Islamic fundamentalism can never whitewash either through their one-sided narrative of curfewed nights, peddled incessantly over the years, or otherwise!

Those who participated, facilitated or looked the other way, during the Seventh KP Exodus , will surely have to educate the young stone-pelters and accept their culpability, one day – Insha Ganesha!

References

1. Jagmohan, “My Frozen Turbulence in Kashmir’’, Published by South Asia Books, 6th Edition.

2. Tej K. Tikoo, “Kashmir: Its Aborigines and their Exodus’’, Published by Lancer Publishers LLC

3. Rahul Pandita, “Our Moon Has Blood Clots: The Exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits’’ Published by Random House India

4. “Abductions and Killings of Prominent Personalities”http://ikashmir.net/atrocities/4.html

5. GD Bakshi, “Kishtwar Cauldron: The Struggle Against Isis Ethnic Cleansing’’, Published by Pentagon Press

6. Muzamil Jaleel , Muzamil Jaleel, “209 Kashmiri Pandits killed since 1989, say J-K cops in first report” http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/209-kashmiri-pandits-killed-since-1989-say-jk-cops-in-first-report/305457/

7. Kashmir News Network , “Kashmir Terrorist Visits New York”, http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kashmir-terrorist-visits-new-york-says-knn-74341697.html

8. Nancy Kaul, “ In defence of my country undeterred I stand, in return I get betrayal – II“ http://www.vijayvaani.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?aid=1472

This article written by Dimple Kaul, was first published at dimplehere.com (http://www.dimplehere.com/massacreofhindusinkashmir-kpgenocide/)

Featured image courtesy: HinduPost.

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Dimple Kaul

Dimple Kaul is a citizen of the free world who believes in living and letting live and loves her nation unabashedly. She does not have a preferred form or style of writing and uses poetry and/or prose based on what she wants to communicate. Some of her works are available at www.dimplehere.com.