‘It Is Never Over, Never Escaped’

Thanks to the author and the Newsweek for publishing this story. This is the story of hundreds of thousands of Kashmiri Hindus who were forced to leave Kashmir under duress due to violent uprising that started in Kashmir in 1989.On Jan 30 it will be 19 years since my own family left Kashmir to save our lives and honor. Noted Hindus were selectively killed to induce the strong sense of fear among their community members. These killings started towards the second half of 1989 and became quite rampant. This was a period of total anarchy in Kashmir. The State Government had no desire or capability to check all this and the Central Government in New Delhi was in its usual slumber and managed to remain blissfully ignorant. Come January 1990, there was massive propaganda among the people in Kashmir about imminence and inevitability of secession from India. While Kashmiri Muslims were enjoying that sentiment to the fullest, and also patronizing their Mujahideens (Islamic holy warriors or freedom fighters) the minority Hindus were scared to death. Rhetoric on loudspeakers emanating synchronously from several mosques across the valley during those cold nights conveying overt threats further frightened the hapless minority. I recall that on some of these horrifying nights, we had decided to burn our house and consign ourselves to flames rather than submit to Mujahideens (Islamic holy warriors), should such a situation arise. Waking up on subsequent mornings and finding ourselves alive used to evoke strong feelings of gratitude to Almighty God. But not everybody was fortunate like us. Amidst all this chaos, we left Srinagar at our earliest opportunity. We never knew we were locking the doors of our home to never open them again.

In all these posts, I do see and appreciate a sensible few from some kind Kashmiri Muslims who acknowledge that Pundits (Hindus) were wronged. But many are still in denial and want to ever remain so.

Naveen
California

Dear Muslim Intellgensia,

I am a muslim myself and lawyas find it difficult when people complain about the atrocities done by my fellow faith followers in any part of world. We have always tried to justify it logical conclusion that it was a war cry agains the oppressions. we count number of like our 1000 s died and theirs only 10. we scribe past and history . we quote religious texts. Agreed Agreed Agreed !! From palestine to Sudan to Afghanistan to South Islands of thailand through Iran , Chinese western province and India Kashmir. Muslims are getting persecuted.. Agreed Agreed Agreed.

But Why ? Lets have a second thought about it. When we stay in any locality lets say Queens in NY .. we dress differently to show our identity , we assemble in groups and never mix, we try to create a parralel structure to society which cant mix with generic social subjects ? we want to repeat what was done in 8th Century. we want to turn the wheel back and never want to move ahead. Rather than funding a Scientific institution in pakistan we fund a local Madrassa which breeds new generation of terror.

Budhism spread through whoe Asia and even now it is fast growing in EU and US but they teach amalgation and tie up with existing societies. SIkhs being so distinct open their kithchens to public even when it is flooded by katrina they help one and all. The Magnamity of HIndus and christian charitable trusts isnt hidden world wide. Al talk normal bread and butter , Joy, and Happiness for world.

we on other hand want to earn dollars and pounds but still call local girls as bad characters because they enjoy sun bathing on beach. To earn a dollar we will sell swim suits but call it KUFUR. we are getting into paradoxically self denial mode and we need to bring reform in our outlook. we cant jsutify militancy and terror by numbers,quotes,history and facts. Voilence breeds voilence.. one katusha rocket will breed more air attacks..

world has moved aways from independence to interdependence... lets start living with it .. what happned to KPs even current Cheif minister regretted it last year... when Mosques were used to take them out on streets , kill them or annihilate .. MUSLIM world shoudl ahve stood up and stopped it. that would have been magnamity. India is second largest muslim populated world and yet OIC doesnt give it membership because it is secular country.

Isnt ISLAM secular that INdia cant apply membership ? you can have Sauds and Afghan who kill more muslims internally as OIC members but not INDIA ?

Dear Brothers time has come to introspect within our selves and change rather than blame villians so that we are called Heroes..

With Great Hope
Khaqsar

My Muslim

Thanks to the author and the Newsweek for publishing this story. This is the story of hundreds of thousands of Kashmiri Hindus who were forced to leave Kashmir under duress due to violent uprising that started in Kashmir in 1989.On Jan 30 it will be 19 years since my own family left Kashmir to save our lives and honor. Noted Hindus were selectively killed to induce the strong sense of fear among their community members. These killings started towards the second half of 1989 and became quite rampant. This was a period of total anarchy in Kashmir. The State Government had no desire or capability to check all this and the Central Government in New Delhi was in its usual slumber and managed to remain blissfully ignorant. Come January 1990, there was massive propaganda among the people in Kashmir about imminence and inevitability of secession from India. While Kashmiri Muslims were enjoying that sentiment to the fullest, and also patronizing their Mujahideens (Islamic holy warriors or freedom fighters) the minority Hindus were scared to death. Rhetoric on loudspeakers emanating synchronously from several mosques across the valley during those cold nights conveying overt threats further frightened the hapless minority. I recall that on some of these horrifying nights, we had decided to burn our house and consign ourselves to flames rather than submit to Mujahideens (Islamic holy warriors), should such a situation arise. Waking up on subsequent mornings and finding ourselves alive used to evoke strong feelings of gratitude to Almighty God. But not everybody was fortunate like us. Amidst all this chaos, we left Srinagar at our earliest opportunity. We never knew we were locking the doors of our home to never open them again.

In all these posts, I do see and appreciate a sensible few from some kind Kashmiri Muslims who acknowledge that Pundits (Hindus) were wronged. But many are still in denial and want to ever remain so.

Naveen
California

I am witness to the killing of Tej Krishen a great spiritual young neighbor of mine with whom I was supposed to leave for RADIO STATION. Unfortunately he was ahead of me just by 25 meters when few shots were fired on him and we could not judge what happened. Public rushed in hurry and I heard some passer byers that Bitta Karatey has triumphed by killing a KAFIR in just one shot. The entire Maisuma and Basantbagh the criminal localities were celebrating the killing. The Slogans started against us and I changed my way to RADIO STATION and reached there by another road. On my return to my curiosity what happened there I again reached to the spot where a KP police officer brown haired Data ji Ganjoo was keeping a vigil on the situation near KMD bus stand chowk. I was told that a Kashmiri Pandit was just fired at close range by Bitta Karatey who was following him in an auto rickshaw. Another Matador of Separatists by then had taken the body to some unknown location. Later we came to know that Tej Krishen has attained Martyrdom. When the body was brought by the police to our locality there was frustration and the state of shock for every one of us what to do?
At that time too the separatists in our presence too shouted at the bereaving mother {Shut your mouth or face the consequences} who was uninterruptedly scolding all those who did this cowardly act.
Separatist Kashmiris have snatched away the childhood of thousands, life of thousands by bringing this fateful situation to Kashmir are destined to what they deserve best. The criminals of God can not skip and they know it the best and instead planting the cooked up stories against Kashmiri Pandits and Indian Armed forces they need to be ready for the results that are to come their way very soon. Hisaab Kitaab To Hoga. Accounts will be settled surely very soon.

Kashmiri Separatists have killed thousands, kidnapped so many who are yet not been traced among whom are my relatives too whoes sons have yet not been traced. The tragedy is so grave that surely ALLAH must have fixed most SEWEREST punishment for all the CULPRITS why so much of NOISE? Everyone know who the KILLERS are? Kashmiri Separatists with the help of Pakistan and Sponsors from Middle East have given birth to the most gravest HELL have to OWN the same in the days to come for the only reason that whosoever have SOWN THE SEEDS of TERROR, KILLINGS have to REAP the same. Planting the false stories are not going to serve the purpose instead COME TO TERMS and OPT for HAPPINESS instead GOD and YOU know the best that can HAPPEN TO SEPARATISTS in the days to come?

Mohd yasin malik, The JKLF terrorist killed 10 air force personnel at Sant Nagar/Rawalpora in Jan 1990. Kashmiri muslims were part & parcel of this insurgency movement. Kashmiri muslims are known for their emotional drama .
70,000 MUSLIMS were not killed by security focres, but by your pakistan sponsored terrorists from afghanistan, libya, sudan, arab world etc etc. Pakistan is responsible for the misery of kashmiri muslims. They have to accept this , otherwise worst is yet to come.

While commenting on Kashmir every citizen be it a Kashmiri or otherwise has skipped its SPIRITUAL ANGLE that actually is the basis of all happenings all around the world. Seers and Sages all over the world are in total coordination and WORK on EARTH CONNECTIONS. Terrific total coordination among the spiritual elite enabled EARTH CONNECTIONS to get perfectly connected with each other to enable peoples of different walks of life to live peacefully. This SPIRITUAL ACTION will have an impact and LIFE will improve rather getting disturbed by EVIL FORCES spread all over the GLOBE. The Spiritual ELITE includes Christian, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhist and all other religious ELITE who TIRELESSLY work on the most important issues. Most recent is the ECONOMIC churning that shook the entire globe is for the GOOD of everyone though devastated so many! Another incident was to AVOIDE NUCLEUR THREAT in Kashmir in 2005 that was STOPPED to happen instead the destined devastation in terms of most destructive EARTHQUAKE happened there. There are many such happenings that were taken care by this ELITE group!
It is waste of time to suggest Kashmiri Separatist Muslim Community of such nectar producing things of Spirituality but they can consult their most trusted SAINTS in KASHMIR who are well aware of all that is going to happen in KASHMIR in the days to come. SAINTS we salute with whomsoever community, country they belong to because of their unbiased approach towards mankind. This is the proper time for EVERY COMMUNITY in the world to go for introspection. Today Kashmiri Separatist Muslims are expressing of their frustrations that they have already sown in terms of HATE towards NON MUSLIMS, CUNNINGNESS towards NON MUSLIMS and BIASED ATTITUDE towards NON MUSLIMS. In Kashmir their SLOGANS and poor actions describe their INTENSIONS and DISHONESTY. What ever you SOW is to be REAPED one day in whatever way you have SOWN the seeds of HATRED, VIOLENCE, TERROR, KILLINGS so on and so forth. The same will be your FATE why later make hue and cry? You are destined to what you have given to others and so be brave enough if you have courage. Do not make unnecessary demonstration of frustrations that is going all in vain!
Message for all:
IT IS THE BEST TIME TO DECIDE / JUDGE IF YOU BELONG TO THE EVIL GROUP OR THE GROUP OF NOBLE SOULS ON THIS EARTH WHO WANT EVERYONE TO BE HAPPY, PROSPEROUS, PEACEFUL WITH DIVERSE THOUGHTS TO SURVIVE NOT THE FORCING OF YOUR CLOSED MINDED KNOWLEDGE THAT IS IGNORACE TO RULE OTHERS?

This time it is better than your signature campaign dear Arti. Misinformed NRI's will express their frustration now and do all venomous campaigning against Kashmiri Pandit community but that should not impact your truth. Truth always emerge with brilliance and that what does not exist at all fades into the qualumns of nothingness for ever. Truth will remain and allegations of foolish people will not survive at all. We are victimes of not only religious fanaticism of Kashmiri Separatist Mulims alone but their metors abroad who soponsor these forces to survive by their propaganda machinery, financial support and all provocative verbosm. The governments of US, UK and elsewhere should look out for such individuals who indulge in such activities to ensure that no such community in future is compelled to experience the most worst EXODUS of present times that of Kashmiri Pandits in 1989 -90. Your true journalistic way has set an example and I really appreciate NEWS WEEK to give reality a due place. DALIP LANGOO MUSIC DIRECTOR/ SINGER/ CULTURAL ACTIVIST

oh really? Do you ask the militants who kill Indian soldiers to put down their guns so that Indian Army will have no reason to fight back? Or do you only make demands that the Indian Army should accept defeat and leave Kashmir? The Indian Army is in Kashmir to combat the pakistani backed violence. If you want peace, ask both sides to stop fighting. Or if you want the militants to keep up the fight for Azadi then be quiet while they do the job you want done, and let the Indian Army do its job, which is to fight to militants.

And as far as that nonsense about 4 million muslims killed in 1947, Firstly, that number is wrong. The total deaths from all sides were about 1 million. Secondly, muslims did their own share of slaughtering and the stories of what happened to India bound Hindu and Sikh migrants are just as horrifying as what happened to the muslims.

Stop acting like victims when your own people are just as culpable in the massacres of 1947s

and stop acting like victims of a conflict that your own people started in Kashmir 1989. You want the violence to stop, get your militants stop it first. The Indian army will stand down automatically.

Or you can keep fighting for Azadi, in which stop acting like victims of a war that you want to continue.

what you people want is that India should accept defeat and leave, when it has infact not been defeated.

You can choose between peace or the dream of Azadi. The dream of Azadi, if realized, may bring you peace. So you can keep fighting for Azadi and bear the consequences while the conflict is going on, or give up the dream of Azadi.

Don't expect the Indian army to end the conflict unilaterally. You wanted the fight, you got it. Now live with it, or end it. Its up to you.

we are not using the guns , we kashmriis came on road in august and one million kashmriis demonstrated against indian rule. biggest procession in the history of kashmiri were seen and all in unison said we want freedom from illegal indian occupation and we want united reselutions implemented in kasmir .
in 1947 hindu terrorisits called (praja parishad - todays BJP) with indian army killed four million muslims , this is a biggest holocast of south asia.

India has surpassed the Nazis?! hahahahahaha!!!!! The Nazis killed 6 million jews. there are 4 million people in the Kashmir valley. For India to have surpassed they Nazis, they would have had to exterminate every single person living in the Kashmir valley.

The self pitying exaggerations of the kashmiris know no limits!

Kashmiris are lucky that the Indian Army hasn't gone on a cleansing campaign like the Nazis or the Khmer Rouge or the Rwandan genocide. If that had happened, they would be talking of 2 million dead instead of 50,000.

And heck, it is the kashmiris who started the violence. they started the war. Why are they now complaining about the consequence of the war they started?

Put down your guns. the Indian army will go back to its barracks and stop troubling you.

But you won't put down your guns. you are fighting for freedom. So keep fighting. and keep suffering the pains of war. If you won't put down the guns, there is no reason India should either.

Facts about india:
In Gujrat ( rich state of india) which is ruled by hindu extremist party BJP. they killed thousands of muslims, they used all state machinary to kill them and until now no arrest has been made.
Indian 600 districts are affected and controlled by naxilites ( a hindu terrorist group fighting with upper cast hindues)
Maoists are occupying all northern indian villages they are also a terrorist grup of hindues who have done ore attacks than al Qaida.
ULFA is anoother hindu terrorist group , they are active in north east of india
LTTE the worlds best trained terrorist group who started the concept of suicide bombing are being trained in india and they fight against srilandkan govt. it is the same group who killed rajiv gandhi ( formenre PM of india).
india send LTTE to disturb srilanka and then motivated srilankan govt to accept their so called peace keeping fore of indian army so that they fight the LTTE and maintain law and order in srilandka as srilnaka has weak army.
when peace keeping force of india landed in srilanka they started looting srilankans and rapped thousands of women.
one girl name Dhanu who was raped by a group of indian army officers then came to india and became a suicide bomb and killed Rajiv gandi and took her revenge

India has a worst human rights record, they have surpassed even nazis. 80,000 Kashmiri muslims have been killed by indian army, towns , markets and rice fields have been torched by indian army in kashmir. One million indian army in kashmir not only kill kashmiris and rape women but they destroy the forests also in the name of checking. they make local carpenters slaves and force them to make furniture for with expensive wallnut wood and deodar wood, then they sell it in international market or take to their native places. even indian governor of kashmir has made his whole house decor made from wallnut wood ( according to kahsmir law no body can cut wallnut tree without the permission of local administration)
all endagered speciels of hangul , leapords and tigers have been killed in jungles of kashmir by indian army.
Moreover indian army catch any health young kahsmiri and take them to hospital and take their vital organs like kidneys and then use them for their wonded indian soldiers. indian army also indulges in the smuglling of charas ( drug) which is send to mumbai and from mumbai goes to international market like USA and europe.

That is true. I didn???t find Aarti has exaggerated anything. Not even her feelings or emotions. It???s high time we, as Kashmiri Muslims, accept the follies of having prompted the exodus of Pandits. Reconciliation cannot happen without accepting the truth and the truth is that Pandits were killed and hounded out of their homes. It was unfortunate that Pandits didn???t join the freedom movement. But then I don???t blame them. Our genuine political freedom movement was always tinged by Islamist colour. Like it or not but that is the truth. It was our fault not to sustain the movement as a secular one. Azadi Bara-e-Islam (Freedom for the sake of Islam) was our slogan. How can we expect Pandits to live in that fear of atmosphere?
Let us not pass the buck and put the blame wholly on former governor Jagmohan. His hands are blotted with innocent blood is a separate, if not less important, issue. It is time we stop living in denials.

How could have kahsmiri muslims stoped panditis from migration, they left in the dark of night in army vehicles and under the security of army, there are one million indian army personnel in kashmir . Army of india has nexus with indian hindu fundamentalists, recently indian army,s high ranking officer was jailed in connection with bomb blast of train and bombing of Malegaon ( a place in maharastra) in which muslims died. many hindu seers were also caught in connection of hindu terror.
kashmiri pandiths did a big mistake by joining these hindu fundamentalists of india , recently these hindu terror groups prompted and motivated kashmiri pandiths also to join in voilence in jamme and they together blocked the life line road to kahmir for one month ,in kashmir during this blockade evey baby food was scarace.
Kashmiri pandiths should desist from anti kashmir activities and we still wellcome them and they should again buy their sold housses and return to their home and hearth

I don't think that anybody can refute the allegation that Kashmiri Pandits were hounded out of their ancestral land by jihadis as part of the Islamist agenda of creating a 'Muslim only' Kashmir valley, as the first step towards setting up 'Nizam-e-Mustafa' --
Let us not talk out of heads to put blame of Mr. Jagmohan for the mass exodus.The present CM of J& K in his own admissions has confessed that the people of majority community could have stopped it but chose to ignore it .Let us not live in self denial after such a turmoil , let us not blame Army and exonerate the terrorist who all started this bloody situation with the support of local people. Let us learn to accept the realities.....

This miniscule population of kashmiri pandiths have migrated to jammu and other parts of india , it was the then governer Mr Jagmohan ( member of extremist hindu party BJP) who promted them to come to jammu for some months as he had to do the massacre of kashmiri muslims which he did. he had promisied them that he will bring them back, pandiths had thought that they will get a VIP treatment in jammu but jammu hindues disowned them and they mentally tortured them and did rape of several pandith girls , many were forcibly married to hindu jammu dogras.
we in kahsmir always wellcomed them to come back to their place, but they have sold their property their houses etc now and cant come back.
in last month elections pandits had 47 candidates contesting elections in kashmir, this is a record number of any minority putting up their candiddate in election. ( total number of pandiths is 100,000.
there was never any religious terror in Kahsmir, we demand freedom from indian occupation , since last 20 years 80,000 kashmirisi have been killed by indian army,10,000 are in jails and 6000 are missing. this is the worst human rights record
iftekhar sopore from sopore kashmir = email sopore@gmail.com

Well written indeed. kudos. U've narrated the deep blue sea but forgot about the devil- the indian Army.
this is not your problem, it's newsweek syndrome that's infected u.Fareed Zakaria argues aginst the middleeast muslim movements and favours brutal israel. It's not astounding for me to read Your memoir. We should Mourn 215 pundits but Scorn 70 thousands muslims..! A badly unbalanced Equation!!!Good to see a crazy sheep thinks its wool Heavy..!