Recognition of Genocide of Kashmiri Hindus, punishing its perpetrators, resettlement & rehabilitation of indigenous Hindus in Kashmir, and full integration of Pakistan Occupied Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan with India
May 18, 2022
Honorable Prime Minister Modi-ji:
Namaskar!
First, I would like to thank the Delimitation Commission for proposing to reserve two seats for members of the Hindu Community from Kashmir Valley. But, we are deeply concerned by the continued flow of sophisticated weaponry to Jihadists in Jammu and Kashmir (&K) resulting in continued targeted and the brutal killing of Hindus in the valley. Recent example being that of Mr. Rahul Bhat while he was working in his office in Chadoora, a village IN Budgam District of Kashmir.
The National Human Rights Commission in India had rightly called the exodus of Hindus from Kashmir valley as “akin to genocide.” However, in 1990, the then government of India failed to recognize the genocide inflicted on the Hindus also referred to as the Pandits of Kashmir. It is unfortunate but true that the world has remained silent and continues to remain silent towards the plight of Kashmiri Hindus (KH). But all that changed after the removal of the temporary provisions of Article 370. Recently, after the release of the movie “The Kashmir Files”, a powerful depiction of the gruesome killings that occurred as a genocidal war was unleashed on Kashmiri Hindus (KHs), more and more people around the would have begun to recognize the reality of the tragedy the KHs went through.
History tells us that Hindus of Kashmir Valley has been subjected to a series of genocides for the last seven hundred years and the exodus of 1990’s from Kashmir is the seventh one in that series. This time, the community is united in its resolve that the current (seventh) exodus must be the last one. The real issue in Kashmir is not just the safe return of Hindus to the valley but the creation of a safe habitat that prevents the possibility of a future one. This cannot be done unless crimes committed during the Genocide against Hindus are acknowledged, the perpetrators punished and the infrastructure that unleashed those crimes, destroyed. A vast number of Islamists have profited from the Kashmiri Hindu genocide, by usurping their homes, lands, businesses, jobs, temples and more. So long as they continue to hold on to such ill-gotten profits, there will always be an incentive to commit such crimes in future as well.
It has been more than two ears since the removal of Article 370. We hope that the GOI will take decisive steps and officially recognize the Genocide of Hindus in Kashmir. The next logical step in that direction would be to enact a law for the punishment and prevention of Genocide. India is a signatory to the UN Convention on Prevention and Punishment of Crime of Genocide, The Indian Parliament has ratified this Convention long back in 1959; however, the commensurate law has not been made since then. Panun Kashmir, a political voice representing Hindus of the Kashmir Valley has prepared a “Genocide & Atrocities Prevention Bill” that has been presented to your office and to the Indian
Parliamentarians in 2020. We request your office to take it into consideration.
If the Islamist dream of Ghazwa-e-Hind is to be crushed, it is imperative that your government takes steps to reverse Islamization of Kashmir. To achieve that, the perpetrators & collaborators of Kashmiri Hindu’s genocide must be brought to justice and Jammu & Kashmir’s reorganization taken to its logical conclusion. To further that process, we humbly request your government to take the following steps:
1. Ensure complete safety & security of those Hindus who are in the Kashmir Valley
2. Declare KH refugees as “Internally Displaced Persons” instead of calling them “Migrants..”
3. Formally acknowledge KH “Genocide” at the hands of pan-Islamist terrorists.
4. Set up a tribunal to investigate the crimes against humanity inflicted on indigenous KHs. Investigate & punish those who were directly involved: individual/ mass killings; rape / gang rape; destruction of temples; destruction / usurping of properties etc.
5. Investigate those who were at the helm in 1989-90 in Srinagar like the then elected CM Farooq Abdullah who abdicated his constitutional responsibilities & fled leaving beleaguered KHs at the mercy of AK47 welding Jihadists.
6. Investigate the nexus of politicians with ihadist outfits like JKLF
7. Declare a package of compensation for each KH household that lived in Kashmir prior to 1990.
8. Distress sales be termed null, and void and those properties returned to the rightful KH owners.
9. Establish a “Kashmiri Hindu Heritage Revival and Safety Trust” with Government of India funding to rebuilt damaged temples, religious and cultural centers, and shrines. This trust should be operated by eminent Kashmiri Hindus.
10. Provide special financing resources to the Kashmiri Hindu community that will help them to establish businesses ventures. This could be zero interest rate financing with no collateral requirements, loan waivers if defaulted in 10 years.
11. Initiate talks with Kashmiri Hindus and have your administration/GOl reach out to Kashmiri Hindu political representatives based in J&K.
Finally, the full integration of Pakistan occupied Gilgit Baltistan with the Union territory of Ladakh in India, the full integration of Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir into India and further reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir is a necessity. The last six times, minority Kashmiri Pandit’s attempted application of restorative justice for their resettlement, rehabilitation and reconciliation in the valley but failed each and every time. This time, only a political enclave in the Kashmir Valley with a “safe space” settlement of all those expelled by violent Jihad, is the critical next step.
Respectfully,
Sanjay Kaul
Vice President, World Hindu Council of America
Director. HinduP ACT Task Force on Kashmir