Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Press Note - KP Exodus Day 19th Jan, 2017

A group of Kashmiri Pandits consisting mostly of young Kashmiri Pandits gathered for a silent sit
Jantar Mantar on Thursday, 19th January, 2017 to commemorate
forceful eviction from the Kashmir Valley 27 years ago.
Led by Jammu Kashmir Vichar Manch
Panun Kashmir, the protestors demanded that their human rights be restored
discrimination over the years and a
“We have been made a forgotten community. Our entire culture is fading. Our existence is under
threat” said Anoop Bhat, spokesperson
.
The protesters mostly school and college going children, recited poems and songs which highlight
their pain in exile. Neel Pandita, an eleven year old boy with tears in his eyes said “I want to see
home. I want to live in my home. I request PM Narendra Modi to help me go home
Sanjay Ganjoo of JKVM said “Minds were imbibed with fear and insecu
forcefully flee our native land in the wake of a freedom movement. Not only were we living under
the sustained threat of ethnic cleansing by the terrorists, over five lakh Kashmiri Pandits were
forcefully evicted, defamed, killed and women raped brutally simply because they were Hindus and
seen as symbols of Indian”

“This day marks the 28th anniversary of the forced exile. It was on the fateful day of January 19,
1990, when hundreds of thousands of violent protestors, along with
streets of Kashmir, which led to tour exodus,” said Aman Indra Koul, a 24 year old Kashmiri Pandit,
who was born in exile.

Sumeer Chrungoo, from Kashmir Samiti Delhi said “That dreaded night was possibly the longest night of our lives. Mobs from all over the valley had occupied every single road in Kashmir. They shouted slogans against Pandits asking us to join them or perish or leave the valley,”

Demanding a concrete effort by the government to rehabilitate these people and restore their dignity, Amit Raina, a protestor, said: “No single conviction has taken place against the people who have widely admitted that they were a part of the killings”. He added: “Besides, these cases should be made to come out of the Kashmir region and brought to the forefront so that our community, which is on the verge of extinction, gets national attention and receives adequate justice.”

The event ended with a silent protest and lighting of lamps in memory of all those who gave their lives to preserve the unity and integrity of India in Kashmir.