Name: Vrinda Datta
Roll no : 60065
College: Hindu
Professor: Dr Anil Aneja.
M.A English fourth semester. The Exodus of Kashmiri Pandits
1) According to Hindu mythology, the valley of Kashmir is said to have been named after the ancient sage rishi Kashyapa. Kashmiri Pandits are said to be the original inhabitants of the valley. The term Kashmiri Pandits refer to the Hindu Brahmins who have a five thousand year old ancestry and culture . There roots can be traced back to the time when civilisation had just begun. This fact can be verified by several old historical works like the Nilamata Purana. The community of Kashmiri pandits are devout followers of Lord shiva and goddess Kheer Bhawani. Before the mass exodus …show more content…
Their houses were burnt and some were even burnt alive in their homes. Rahul Pandita says that contrary to what the government said about only militants being involved in such gruesome acts , the local Muslims were also equally at fault. In an interview to NDTV he recounts an incident..
Few militants barged into an elderly man's house to kill him but they could not find him as he was hiding in a sack of rice , when they were about to leave , a local Muslim neighbour told them to check the bag of rice, on finding the man hidden, they pumped the sack with bullets . His wife was then forced to eat the blood stained rice.
In another incident a young Kashmiri Pandit boy was killed and his kidneys were extracted , his parents were then forced to chew on the kidneys.
Prominent personality Lassa Koul , head of Doordarshan , Srinagar was shot dead in front of his house.
Inspite of such barbarism and gross violation of human rights, nothing was done to ensure their safety. Frantic calls to departments in Jammu and Delhi also fell on deaf …show more content…
The young are suffering from a severe identity crisis , they do not know what to call their home. Shortage of jobs has led to a feeling a betrayal. 6000 jobs were promised but only 1440 actually got jobs. According to a recent survey , around 3000 unregistered Kashmiri pandits do not even have access to the meagre cash amount and ration provided by the government. The future of these sons of the soil of Kashmir is in complete darkness. " how long do I have to call this tent , my home?" Is a question that 15 year old Suhana persistently asks her mother.
To remain rooted to their past , their culture and heritage, these Kashmiri Pandit refugees resort to singing Kashmiri folk songs . Some narrate stories of their beautiful valley to their children. They have created a replica of the idol of kheer Bhawani and perform small Pujas together. This they say is a way of keeping their beliefs alive. Mamta Pandit sleeps on the rug, the only possession she has which reminds her of her home back in the valley. Similar sentiments are echoed by Arup Ruyu who lives in Delhi and deals in Kashmiri handicrafts Koshur Rul. She says that it is an effort to retain her
Roll no : 60065
College: Hindu
Professor: Dr Anil Aneja.
M.A English fourth semester. The Exodus of Kashmiri Pandits
1) According to Hindu mythology, the valley of Kashmir is said to have been named after the ancient sage rishi Kashyapa. Kashmiri Pandits are said to be the original inhabitants of the valley. The term Kashmiri Pandits refer to the Hindu Brahmins who have a five thousand year old ancestry and culture . There roots can be traced back to the time when civilisation had just begun. This fact can be verified by several old historical works like the Nilamata Purana. The community of Kashmiri pandits are devout followers of Lord shiva and goddess Kheer Bhawani. Before the mass exodus …show more content…
Their houses were burnt and some were even burnt alive in their homes. Rahul Pandita says that contrary to what the government said about only militants being involved in such gruesome acts , the local Muslims were also equally at fault. In an interview to NDTV he recounts an incident..
Few militants barged into an elderly man's house to kill him but they could not find him as he was hiding in a sack of rice , when they were about to leave , a local Muslim neighbour told them to check the bag of rice, on finding the man hidden, they pumped the sack with bullets . His wife was then forced to eat the blood stained rice.
In another incident a young Kashmiri Pandit boy was killed and his kidneys were extracted , his parents were then forced to chew on the kidneys.
Prominent personality Lassa Koul , head of Doordarshan , Srinagar was shot dead in front of his house.
Inspite of such barbarism and gross violation of human rights, nothing was done to ensure their safety. Frantic calls to departments in Jammu and Delhi also fell on deaf …show more content…
The young are suffering from a severe identity crisis , they do not know what to call their home. Shortage of jobs has led to a feeling a betrayal. 6000 jobs were promised but only 1440 actually got jobs. According to a recent survey , around 3000 unregistered Kashmiri pandits do not even have access to the meagre cash amount and ration provided by the government. The future of these sons of the soil of Kashmir is in complete darkness. " how long do I have to call this tent , my home?" Is a question that 15 year old Suhana persistently asks her mother.
To remain rooted to their past , their culture and heritage, these Kashmiri Pandit refugees resort to singing Kashmiri folk songs . Some narrate stories of their beautiful valley to their children. They have created a replica of the idol of kheer Bhawani and perform small Pujas together. This they say is a way of keeping their beliefs alive. Mamta Pandit sleeps on the rug, the only possession she has which reminds her of her home back in the valley. Similar sentiments are echoed by Arup Ruyu who lives in Delhi and deals in Kashmiri handicrafts Koshur Rul. She says that it is an effort to retain her