Dear All,
Twenty nine years ago on 19 January,1990 Kashmiri Hindus were given 24 hours eviction notice by the Islamic terrorists .It was the day when the threats of convert, die or escape replaced the sounds of evening Azaan from the majority of mosques in the Valley in Kashmir. People recall the horror of waking up to hear this command . Over half a million innocent people had to abandon their homes and belongings and they headed outside the Valley of Kashmir. Kashmiri Pandits/Hindus lost their most precious thing ,they lost their homeland, the place of their birth. They were made homeless overnight on 19th January,1990 and since then they have been moving from pillar to post, demanding their fundamental rights.
19th January reminds us of the ethnic cleansing and the mass exodus of the Kashmiri Hindus from the Valley and also how Kashmiri Pandits/Hindus were selected out and killed in most cold blooded fashion. The years 1989/1990 saw the beginning of ethnic cleansing and genocide of Kashmiri Pandits/Hindus. The valley was gripped with the militancy movement and the main objective of this movement was to create a valley homogenous in its religious character. To create such homogeneity the Kashmiri Pandit/Hindu minority was forced to leave the valley. It was also the beginning of atrocities that Kashmiri Pandits/Hindus suffered at the hands of terrorists. The targeting of Kashmiri Pandits/Hindus by militants that began in 1989 and it continued till they left the valley. The survey that was carried out in 2008/2009 to find out how many Kashmiri Hindu Community members were killed since the start of militancy ,the exact number killed is still being investigated and compiled but the survey revealed that 302 members of the Kashmiri Hindus in the valley were killed in 1990 alone.
Kashmir has been the highest learning centre of Sanaskrit and Persian languages as the Indo-Aryanic civilizations has originated and flourished here. Nilmatpurana and Pandit Kalhan’s Rajatarangini are the oldest books on Kashmir history. Kashmiri Pandits/Hindus, the original inhabitants of the Valley, they were forced out of their homeland through a genocidal campaign by the militants. The rich cultural heritage of Kashmiri Hindus is in decline, Hindu places of worship in the Valley have been burnt down, vandalized and damaged. There has been a complete lack of prosecution of terrorists and militants, including those who openly admitted to the killing of Kashmiri Hindus. Such terrorists should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Kashmiri Pandits/Hindus have denied justice for the past 29 years. They have a rightful claim over the land of their birth and the land of their ancestors . Their resettlement in Kashmir is a genuine political issue and it is high time their violation of human rights is addressed.
IEKF (Indo-European Kashmir Forum) in association with HCUK (Hindu Council UK) and the UK members of GKPD (Global Kashmiri Pandit Diaspora) are holding a special observance meeting in the House of Commons for the Kashmiri Hindus’ Holocaust and Genocide Day on Thursday 17 January from 16.00hrs till 18.00hrs.
We have great pleasure in inviting you to join us to be part of this special observance of Kashmiri Hindus’ ethnic cleansing and genocide.
Bob Blackman MP has kindly facilitated the room in the Palace of Westminster and we are hugely indebted to Bob for his continued and passionate support to the displaced community, Kashmiri Hindus.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us for any further information.
E-mail : indoeuropeankashmirforum@gmail.com
Best regards
Krishna Bhan (Ms) President IEKF & Director of Education HCUK
+447886439506