| News Details |
| Panun Kashmir holds preparatory meeting for International Refugee Day observance | | 
Jammu, June 10 (Scoop News)-Panun Kashmir today held an important preparatory meeting at the Ram Shaiv (Trika) Ashram, Naseeb Nagar, Jammu, to finalize arrangements for the observance of International Refugee Day on 20 June 2026 at 10:00 AM at Invitation Hall, Roop Nagar, Jammu.
The meeting was convened by Shri Bebooji Zutshi, Coordinator Jammu, Panun Kashmir, and jointly chaired by Dr. Agnishekhar, Convenor, Panun Kashmir, and Prof. Tito Ganju, Chairman, Panun Kashmir.
At the outset, the participants paid rich tributes to noted scholar, thinker and cultural icon Dr. Shashi Shekhar Toshkhani. The speakers recalled his immense contribution to the preservation and promotion of Kashmir's civilizational, literary and intellectual heritage. They observed that Dr. Toshkhani remained a steadfast voice of scholarship and cultural memory whose work shall continue to inspire generations in the struggle for preserving Kashmir's indigenous ethos.
The meeting also expressed deep concern over the recent statement of the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir suggesting that the common people of Kashmir were not responsible for what happened to the Kashmiri Pandit community. The participants observed that while individual accountability may vary, the genocide, ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of the community cannot be detached from the larger atmosphere of intimidation, social sanction, silence and complicity that enabled the exodus. The meeting reiterated that any attempt to dilute historical truth or reduce the genocide to an unfortunate episode undermines both justice and reconciliation with history.
Speaking on the significance of International Refugee Day, Bebooji Zutshi stated that the observance is a solemn reminder that the exile of Kashmiri Hindus remains unresolved despite the passage of more than three and a half decades. He appealed to the community to participate in large numbers and reaffirm its commitment to the struggle for justice and dignified rehabilitation.
B.L. Kaul, Organising Secretary, emphasized that International Refugee Day offers an opportunity to place before the nation and the international community the continuing plight of displaced Kashmiri Hindus. He stressed the need for sustained organizational efforts to ensure that the refugee dimension of the community's tragedy remains visible in public discourse.
Kuldeep Raina, General Secretary, observed that memory is not merely a recollection of the past but a responsibility towards the future. He stated that preserving the narrative of displacement is essential to resisting denial and historical distortion.
Pyare Lal Kaul Badgami, Chief Advisor of the Advisory Committee, remarked that the struggle of Kashmiri Hindus transcends the question of relief and rehabilitation and is fundamentally linked to the restoration of civilizational and national rights in their homeland. He underlined the importance of preserving historical truth through collective remembrance.
Sanjay Raina, Vice Chairman, stated that refugeehood must not be allowed to become a permanent condition for future generations. He called upon the community to strengthen its collective resolve towards achieving a durable and honourable resolution.
Bituji Bhat, Coordinator Jagti, highlighted the hardships and sacrifices endured by displaced families over the last three and a half decades and stressed the importance of transmitting these experiences to younger generations.
Akshaye Garoo, Coordinator, Yuva Panun Kashmir Jagti, emphasized that the youth must emerge as custodians of memory and champions of truth. He stated that the younger generation has a historic responsibility to carry forward the movement with clarity, conviction and purpose.
Dr. Archana Pandita highlighted the role played by women in preserving identity, culture and community resilience throughout the years of exile. She called for greater participation of women in shaping the future course of the movement.
Bhushan Lal Bhat, Coordinator, Grievance Cell, observed that the refugee condition of Kashmiri Hindus continues to manifest itself through numerous unresolved social, economic and administrative issues that demand urgent attention.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Agnishekhar stated that International Refugee Day is not merely an occasion of remembrance but a day of political and civilizational assertion. He observed that while the world recognizes refugee crises across continents, the prolonged displacement of Kashmiri Hindus continues to remain inadequately acknowledged. He called upon the community to transform memory into organized action and collective resolve.
In his concluding address, Prof. Tito Ganju, Chairman, Panun Kashmir, delivered a forceful call for narrative reclamation rooted in both historical truth and the philosophical traditions of Kashmir. Referring to the Trika philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism, he stated that while suffering, persecution and displacement must be acknowledged and documented, victimhood cannot become the final identity of a people. He observed that Trika places upon the victim the responsibility of recognition, resilience and self-assertion. “The refugee condition explains where we are; genocide explains what happened to us. But our civilizational consciousness defines who we are,” he remarked. Prof. Ganju emphasized that justice requires the preservation of memory, while dignity demands refusal to remain permanently imprisoned within the identity of a victim. Drawing upon the Shaiva concept of Pratyabhijna (Recognition), he stated that communities, like individuals, must recognize their intrinsic strength and historical agency. He cautioned against all attempts to normalize the genocide through selective memory, tourism narratives and superficial political formulations, asserting that the struggle of Kashmiri Hindus is fundamentally a struggle against erasure. “A victim has the responsibility to bear witness, preserve memory, seek justice and refuse surrender. The greatest victory of a perpetrator is achieved when the victim forgets who he is,” he said. Calling upon the community to become custodians of memory and truth, he urged participants to transform remembrance into a collective movement for recognition, justice and the realization of the Panun Kashmir vision.
The meeting concluded with a unanimous appeal to members of the displaced Kashmiri Hindu community, intellectuals, youth and civil society to participate in large numbers in the International Refugee Day programme being organized by Panun Kashmir on 20 June 2026 at 10:00 AM at Invitation Hall, Roop Nagar, Jammu, and reaffirm their commitment to the cause of justice, recognition and homeland.
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