Picture depicting the Jammu and Kashmir and also article 370.
[Current status and political divisions. India has control of about half the area of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, which comprises Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, while Pakistan controls a third of the region, divided into two provinces, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.]
Ravi Speaks:
From 1990 till the abrogation of the article in 2019 period:
After the treacherous and painful exodus in 1989-90, the Kashmiri Hindu community has faced all odds and difficulties in getting themselves settled at the new places. There have been many agitations and fights from this community to make the governments of time during these three decades realize their adversities and act accordingly to see them resettled in their motherland back.
As on date, even after such a long period, there seems to be no significant change in their fate as far as the returning to the valley was concerned. Although a ray of hope had come when the Supreme Court of India declared in April 2018 that since the state constituent assembly had ceased to function, Article 370 had become permanent. Notwithstanding that Article 370 is still a part of the constitution, the Indian government declared it “inoperative” in order to get around this legal problem.
After the abrogation of article 370, Pundits were initially thrilled and positive that things would drastically happen in their favor and the government would take all steps to see them back and safe.
Government’s strategic plan of offering posts to young pundits and their acceptance happening again.
Of course, some actions and strategies were planned by the government and the youth of the community were offered the state level posts in the valley. Pundits had also appeared in quite a good number for their exams to such jobs. There seemed to be a hope when the recruited Pundits went to the valley yet again and joined their duties in the valley.
Killings happening off and on of serving pundits and other Hindus in the valley in the recent past after the UT status.
Target killings started and the Pundits and Hindus started getting killed selectively. This created again a big uncertainty and fear amongst the minds of Pundits and they started braving it out, initially thinking that it would not pick up further.
Apprehensions and uncertainty of the situation in the valley forcing pandits to agitate and move back to a safer Jammu area.
Since these selective killings went on getting repeated, these pundits developed a psychotic fear, and that was quite natural once the uncertainty prevailed tremendously in the valley. They had to come back for their safety and the situation started taking the shape of 1990–exodus. Most of them returned to safer areas in Jammu.
Government taking a strict stance of stopping their salaries for a longer period to force them to rejoin their duties in the valley back.
Government, meanwhile, did their PRO strongly and propagated that strategic safety measures were being taken by the state government effectively. With the return of these pundits Government realized it would dilute their position of claiming peace in the valley, so they resorted to the stern stance.
Catch twenty-two situations and people going back in uncertain atmosphere and joining their duties back deciding to face the situation rather than getting starved.
After the stern action of stopping the salaries of the state government employees who had fled away from the valley under the reason of being unsafe–the pressure tactics of the state government worked. They forced pundits to join back their duties in the valley. Although some of the influential people in this segment were adjusted in the Jammu region itself. Since the government stopped their salaries for almost 5-6 months. Pundits went back and faced the uncertainty rather than getting starved.
Government trying all gimmicks to prove the point that pundits are being taken care of.
Once we read the press releases and even the claims made by the concerned ministers, we realise they don’t want their higher claims of peace and rehabilitation getting diluted, anyway. The fact is pundits are really not happy. They feel the government and no tangible advantage simply used them happening to their community. Pundits express their unhappiness for not really being given any such advantage where they could feel safe and return to their motherland in a fearless atmosphere.
What will be our fate say after just five years from now looking to such a slow and almost no initiative of the government working out?
Let us say – five years down the line in the times to come, what would be the status of a Kashmiri pundit vis-à-vis the present situation? I don’t foresee any significant number of families really shifting back. Except the few who have been forced to join their duties for earning their livelihood. Will there be any change in the fate of pundits even if the government thinks of returning the statehood to Jammu and Kashmir? Difficult to be even visualized as per the present scenario.
One pride factor would be the settlement of most of their progeny outside their motherland.
No doubt the agonies and atrocities to the Kashmiri Pundits during these three decades have given the deep scars to their memories as well, but their progeny have braved all this strongly. Some of the Kashmiri Pundit youth have toiled a hard way to reach their pinnacles of careers in different professions, and such segment gives a real pride to the community. I don’t think such people who have attained their name and fame and recognition in their fields and were born during that time or after the exodus would be seriously interested in getting settled back in their motherland- yes, of course, sentiments and emotions aside.