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| KPs mass exodus---how and why? | |
By Yash Bhasin
The controversy over the circumstances leading to and the forces responsible for mass exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from the valley has once again raked up, with a senior Kashmiri Congress leader and Supreme Court lawyer, Ashok Bhan alleging that the then Chief Minister of the state Farooq Abdullah and the NC party were responsible for the same. Ashok Bhan has, in a right up carried by some newspapers, alleged that Dr. Abdullah abdicated his responsibility as the chief minister of the state and submitted resignation of his government in a huff, which created a void and left the field open for the terrorists and the religious fundamentalists. These elements held threats on loud speakers from mosque to the members of minority community to leave the valley within 24 hours or face the consequences. Similarly hand written posters were pasted on the walls of KP houses warning them to leave or face consequences.
The NC leaders, including a KP leader of the party and MLC Vijay Bakaya, former Chief Secretary to J&K government has refuted the allegations made by Ashok Bann and has defended the NC. Following this many Kashmiri Pandit organizations and their leaders have flayed Vijay Bakaya’s defense of NC and Dr. Farooq Abdullah, holding the party and its government at that time responsible for their mass exodus.
The NC has been in the past holding Jag Mohan, who was appointed Governor of the state in early 1990, responsible for the Kashmiri Hindus enblock migrating from the valley. Their argument has been that Jag Mohan who had taken direct control of the state government, after Farooq Abdullah had resigned as chief minister, had gone all out of the way to facilitate and help the Kashmiri Hindus to migrant from the valley. He offered them incentives in the form of free transportation to Jammu and providing relief to them in Jammu camps and later giving cash doles, which lured them to leave their homes and hearths in Kashmir. But the KP leaders ridicule this argument saying that only a fool will leave his home and land of his ancestors, their landed property and assets to get in return a paltry cash dole, free ration and lodgings at a place with the climate of which they are not used too. The Kashmiri Pandits, an intelligent community, cannot be believed to be penny wise but pound foolish.
To have an objective assessment of the situation under which the mass exodus of KPs from Kashmir took place, the events of 22 years back need be recalled. The first gun shot was fired by the militants in 1988 in a lane near Civil secretariat. This was followed by a militant entering into the house of DIG Police A.S.Wattali, with a gun. He was gunned down by the security guards posted at the residence. These events were believed to be a grand rehearsal for the events to come and meant to test the water. After that there was lull for sometime.
However in 1989 the terrorists indulged in selective killings of some prominent Hindus from different walks of life. The retired judge, Mr. Ganjoo who had awarded death sentence to JKLF founder leader, Maqbool Bhat, charged of killing some innocents, was gunned down in the broad day light at Amira Kadal, Srinagar. BJP leader Tika Lal Taploo was assassinated later, followed by assassination of some other prominent KP personalities. Prem Nath Bhat, a renowned practicing lawyer, social activist and a free lance journalist was assassinated at Anantnag on Dec-27 1989. This shook the faith of the minority community about their safety in Kashmir, leading to migration of many to Jammu.
The kidnapping of the then Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s daughter Rubina Sayeed who was studying Medical and the surrender by the authorities before the dictates of the kidnappers to release some hardcore militants from jail, served as a moral booster for the militants and the religious fundamentalists. The kidnapping of Rubina was allegedly master minded by JKLF leader Yasin Malik and his group, who had earlier also shot dead four IAF officers at Lal Chowk Srinagar.
To be fair to the then chief minister Farooq Abdullah, he is reported to have apposed conceding the demand of the kidnappers to release some arrested militants, in exchange for the release of Rubina Sayeed. But under pressure from the Union Home Ministry, the chief minister and the state government had to bow.
This surrender by the government was celebrated enthusiastically by the anti-india elements, with signs of victory displayed at Lal Chowk and other places in Srinagar. Anti India, Pro Pakistan and Azadi slogans were openly raised, with Pak flags hoisted at various places and Indian flags at some places pulled down and burnt. This was the first sign of collapse of administration, with the impression created that the objective of “Aazadi from Indian occupation” was achieved.
At the time when the militants fired first salvo in Kashmir in late 1988, the chief minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah was touring Singapore and Hong Kong in the name of attracting tourists to Kashmir. The then State Governor Krishna Rao adopted ostrich like attitude, sitting on his oars and not moving to control the situation. The V.P.Singh headed Central Government, with Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as Home Minister, sent Jag Mohan as governor of the state to replace General Rao.
Dr. Abdullah who had by that time come back to Kashmir, on the advice of then former Prime Minister and Congress President Rajiv Gandhi submitted resignation of his government, as a protest against the appointment of Jag Mohan as the state governor for the second time.
Abdullah entertained grudge against Jag Mohan for the latter toppling his government in 1985. Dr. Abdullah also left the state and the country to join his wife in London. He is also reported to have advised the NC cadre to lie low and according to some allegations also advised them to join the ranks of militants, but be not caught by the police of Jag Mohan. All this left the vacuum and space for the militants and the fundamentalists.
In blaming Jag Mohan for being responsible for the mass exodus of Kashmiri Hindus, Dr. Farooq Abdullah and NC aimed at killing two birds with one stone, first to malign and defame Jag Mohan against whom Farooq Abdullah and his NC nourished the grouse for the former having connived in toppling the Farooq government in 1985, by Farooq Abdullah’s brother-in-law G.M.Shah. The second objective was to put the arch rival of Abdullahs and NC in Kashmir, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed,who was then the Union Home Minister, blaming him for the choice of Jag Mohan as the governor of the state.
Besides issuing open warnings to the Kashmiri Hindus, through announcements on the loud speakers from mosques as well as by pasting hand written posters on the doors of KP houses to leave the valley within 24 hours or face serious consequences, the timing in the watches by the mobs in the streets was advanced by half an hour, synchronizing with the timing in Pakistan. The passers by in the streets, including the Hindus were forced to change the times on their watches accordingly failing which they were roughed up and hackled.
Even they were forced to join chorus with the anti India elements to shout down with India and Pakistan Zindabad or Azad Kashmir Zindabad.
It was under these circumstances that the mass exodus of Kashmiri Hindus took place. The then governor Jag Mohan did provide logistic support and facilities to the minority community to get safe passage out of Kashmir valley.
(The writer is senior Journalist of J&K State)
(Opinions expressed in write-ups/articles/Letters are the sole responsibility of the authors and they may not represent the Scoop News)
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