Today, 19th January, thirty years ago, was the worst nightmare in the life of Kashmiri Pandits!
My visit to Jammu would have seemed incomplete had I not met and interacted with the Kashmiri Pandits! The neighbour of my room was a retired Kashmiri pandit (KP) who migrated to Jammu in 1990 during the genocide. He used to visit Jammu since when he was in grade 7 in early 70s along with his father. He later moved to Delhi for the higher studies and worked as part of a public sector... As part of our conversation, I asked him as to why didn't they revolt at the time of genocide. The natural answer came, saying it was because they were minority 1% of the 1.5 crore population in the entire Jammu and Kashmir and the then govt didn't help them in anyway. I commented, saying that at least I didn't come to know about it till only recently!
KP: That's because the then govt never let that happen - to be known to the rest of the world. The people fled to different places such as Jammu, Delhi, etc. People who were well educated took up jobs elsewhere however those who were peasants and landlords of orchids, etc. couldn't make a living. So they settled in the refugees camps in Jammu and later, govt allotted them lands in Jammu and they have settled here permanently.
Me: What surprised to me was that following the removal of article 370 and 35A, due to the curfew, there were lots to hue and cry that communication is cut off, human rights violations, etc. However there was hardly any voices from the Kashmiri pandits about the sufferings they had gone through 30years ago, except a few here and there.
KP: There are diaspora at different places such as in Delhi, Bangalore, etc of some 1000 people.
Me: But there is no collective voice... Nor has the voices made enough noise... is that because there is not enough unity among yourselves?
KP: On the other hand, not every KP wants to go back. Our children who have not seen much of the Kashmir have settled elsewhere. For ex., my daughter has studied in London and settled there. Why would she want to be going back to Kashmir?
Me: But you said there are many families who have no greater education and still remains poor. Do they not want to go back? Do you not want to support them?
KP: Yes ofcourse!
Me: However, I don't hear much of this anywhere even today.
KP: The govt will be doing it.
Me: But for the govt to make anything isn't it your responsibility to make a voice?
"We are an educated people. We don't go out throwing stones", was the swift answer from this gentleman. "We are raising the concern with the govt. We are seeking a separate settlement with retired army families staying among us! And security to be provided in our area."
Me: Do you think that will be a permanent solution. Do you think this govt will remain permanent who are making positive attempt for your welfare?
KP: Of course! Do you think the opposition will ever come back here? That's a hypothetical situation! That won't happen! We know what they have done to us. Now that article 370 is removed and the respective folks are arrested, we will not let such a govt to come again!
Me: Ok, but what if the govt changes at the centre?
KP: The Congress must be wiped out of India!
I wondered, which govt or a kingdom has remained permanent in the entire history of not just our nation, but in the entire world?? Will this gentleman and many pandits like him ever learn the right lessons from the history...? What is equally surprising to me from the interactions with a few KPs is that, I didn't hear from a single pandit expressing the idea of becoming stronger and gain ability to secure themselves than depending on others! I never heard a pandit seeking martial arts or other defensive training. It might be a sensible choice to have retired army families with them. But the history teaches us that its a futile idea to depend on someone else for the basic necessities as security, food and shelter!
Irrespective of whether it's a boy or a girl! Irrespective of whether they are in refugee camps or well settled in US or London or elsewhere, a collective lifestyle changes as a community to adopt the life saving, defending skills could bring much good to them as a race. Have you ever heard a lion hunting another lion? There was one Guru Govind Singh for Sikhs, then. I wondered, if there was one for the KPs today...
The Varna system was great when it was made. But neither did we use it sensibly nor has it remained sensible enough with 1000+ years of invasions! Have we not heard the story of a boastful Brahmin who did not know the basic life saving skills of swimming, getting drowned?
Not just a small community, there are nations who took up a collective decision of single common goal - Japan and Israel are two such examples. For them nation comes first and foremost than anything else. And those are the nations that are in the forefront in every profession - be it medical science, technology, business, etc. A strong nation building can only happen first, through self-discipline, whichever profession one might be in.
KPs are not the only ones who have faced persecution in the entire history of this nation. But it's the most recent, especially in a democratic independent nation. I wish at least the KPs will wake up and set an example to the rest of the Brahmins and other communities in this nation that the ideal of today's humanity is the combined growth of brahmin-hood with the valour of a kshatriya, in each individual.
While one race is racing blind-folded towards its own destruction, the other is slowing down to become vulnerable to be destroyed!
Here are a few statements made by Swami Vivekananda nearly 130years ago, which are very relevant in this context:
"I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal."
"For our own motherland a junction of the two great systems, Hinduism and Islam — Vedanta brain and Islam body — is the only hope."
"My child, what I want is muscles of iron and nerves of steel, inside which dwells a mind of the same material as that of which the thunderbolt is made. Strength, manhood, Kshatra-Virya + Brahma-Teja."
Leave alone our nerves being steel, is it atleast alive??
My visit to Jammu would have seemed incomplete had I not met and interacted with the Kashmiri Pandits! The neighbour of my room was a retired Kashmiri pandit (KP) who migrated to Jammu in 1990 during the genocide. He used to visit Jammu since when he was in grade 7 in early 70s along with his father. He later moved to Delhi for the higher studies and worked as part of a public sector... As part of our conversation, I asked him as to why didn't they revolt at the time of genocide. The natural answer came, saying it was because they were minority 1% of the 1.5 crore population in the entire Jammu and Kashmir and the then govt didn't help them in anyway. I commented, saying that at least I didn't come to know about it till only recently!
KP: That's because the then govt never let that happen - to be known to the rest of the world. The people fled to different places such as Jammu, Delhi, etc. People who were well educated took up jobs elsewhere however those who were peasants and landlords of orchids, etc. couldn't make a living. So they settled in the refugees camps in Jammu and later, govt allotted them lands in Jammu and they have settled here permanently.
Me: What surprised to me was that following the removal of article 370 and 35A, due to the curfew, there were lots to hue and cry that communication is cut off, human rights violations, etc. However there was hardly any voices from the Kashmiri pandits about the sufferings they had gone through 30years ago, except a few here and there.
KP: There are diaspora at different places such as in Delhi, Bangalore, etc of some 1000 people.
Me: But there is no collective voice... Nor has the voices made enough noise... is that because there is not enough unity among yourselves?
KP: On the other hand, not every KP wants to go back. Our children who have not seen much of the Kashmir have settled elsewhere. For ex., my daughter has studied in London and settled there. Why would she want to be going back to Kashmir?
Me: But you said there are many families who have no greater education and still remains poor. Do they not want to go back? Do you not want to support them?
KP: Yes ofcourse!
Me: However, I don't hear much of this anywhere even today.
KP: The govt will be doing it.
Me: But for the govt to make anything isn't it your responsibility to make a voice?
"We are an educated people. We don't go out throwing stones", was the swift answer from this gentleman. "We are raising the concern with the govt. We are seeking a separate settlement with retired army families staying among us! And security to be provided in our area."
Me: Do you think that will be a permanent solution. Do you think this govt will remain permanent who are making positive attempt for your welfare?
KP: Of course! Do you think the opposition will ever come back here? That's a hypothetical situation! That won't happen! We know what they have done to us. Now that article 370 is removed and the respective folks are arrested, we will not let such a govt to come again!
Me: Ok, but what if the govt changes at the centre?
KP: The Congress must be wiped out of India!
I wondered, which govt or a kingdom has remained permanent in the entire history of not just our nation, but in the entire world?? Will this gentleman and many pandits like him ever learn the right lessons from the history...? What is equally surprising to me from the interactions with a few KPs is that, I didn't hear from a single pandit expressing the idea of becoming stronger and gain ability to secure themselves than depending on others! I never heard a pandit seeking martial arts or other defensive training. It might be a sensible choice to have retired army families with them. But the history teaches us that its a futile idea to depend on someone else for the basic necessities as security, food and shelter!
Irrespective of whether it's a boy or a girl! Irrespective of whether they are in refugee camps or well settled in US or London or elsewhere, a collective lifestyle changes as a community to adopt the life saving, defending skills could bring much good to them as a race. Have you ever heard a lion hunting another lion? There was one Guru Govind Singh for Sikhs, then. I wondered, if there was one for the KPs today...
The Varna system was great when it was made. But neither did we use it sensibly nor has it remained sensible enough with 1000+ years of invasions! Have we not heard the story of a boastful Brahmin who did not know the basic life saving skills of swimming, getting drowned?
Not just a small community, there are nations who took up a collective decision of single common goal - Japan and Israel are two such examples. For them nation comes first and foremost than anything else. And those are the nations that are in the forefront in every profession - be it medical science, technology, business, etc. A strong nation building can only happen first, through self-discipline, whichever profession one might be in.
KPs are not the only ones who have faced persecution in the entire history of this nation. But it's the most recent, especially in a democratic independent nation. I wish at least the KPs will wake up and set an example to the rest of the Brahmins and other communities in this nation that the ideal of today's humanity is the combined growth of brahmin-hood with the valour of a kshatriya, in each individual.
While one race is racing blind-folded towards its own destruction, the other is slowing down to become vulnerable to be destroyed!
Here are a few statements made by Swami Vivekananda nearly 130years ago, which are very relevant in this context:
"I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal."
"For our own motherland a junction of the two great systems, Hinduism and Islam — Vedanta brain and Islam body — is the only hope."
"My child, what I want is muscles of iron and nerves of steel, inside which dwells a mind of the same material as that of which the thunderbolt is made. Strength, manhood, Kshatra-Virya + Brahma-Teja."
Leave alone our nerves being steel, is it atleast alive??
No comments:
Post a Comment