|THE DEN|
Askari H. Zaidi, a senior journalist who had spent a number of years in the state of Jammu and Kashmir from 1988 onwards reporting on the happenings there for The Times of India answers some of the most important questions that come to our mind about Kashmir.
Q 1: What comes to your mind when you think of Kashmir?
A: One of the most beautiful regions of India, and lovely people ravaged by an unending spiral of violence which has taken a heavy toll. Ever since the Partition in 1947, Pakistan has been instigating insurgency in the state, and that India has put it down with a heavy hand.
Q 2: Was the flight of Kashmiri Pandits (popularly called as KPs) from the valley a ‘migration,’ or an ‘exodus’ or a `Genocide’ way back in 1990?
Similarly, there are different versions about the number of KPs who have migrated from the valley. Writer PLD Parimu, a KP himself, says that in between 1947 and 1950, many KPs had left the valley in search of employment. He says a total of 2.5 lakh KPs must have migrated so far. Author Alexander Evans says 1.5 lakh to 1.6 lakh KPs migrated from the valley, while writer Sumanta Bose says 1 lakh KPs must have moved out of the valley.
A: It was not a genocide for sure. Deliberate and systematic destruction, done in a short period of a racial, political, religious or ethnic group is called genocide. Mr Sanjay Tikku, a leader of KPs living in the valley, and some other political commentators are of the view that there was nothing like genocide. They negate the claim of some KP organisations that over the past 20 years, 3000 to 4000 KPs were killed. They also don’t agree with the government figure of 319 killings. According to them, 650 KPs must have been killed in the valley over the past 20 years or so. I also consider this to be the number of casualties of KPs.
But this is also a fact that several times more Muslims were killed by militants over the same period, including Muslim religious leaders such as Mirwais Maulvi Farooq.
According to historian Ashok Kumar Pandey, in the 1981 census, a total of 124078 Hindus were counted in the valley, including non-KP Hindus as well. The percentage of total Hindus in the valley was 3.96 % of the total population. The rate of growth in the 1980s was 6.75 %. By this rate of growth, the total number of KPs in the valley in 1990 should have been 132400. Out of this, 8000 KPs did not migrate. So the total number of KPs who left the valley should be around 124400. It should also be kept in mind that not all these KPs left the valley in January, 1990. The migration had started much earlier. It should also be mentioned here that a large number of Muslims also left the valley because of disruption of life there.
Q 3: Tell us your point of view on Kashmiri Pandits’ exodus. Was it political?
A: I have given details in the answer to question 2. The exodus was mainly because of the fearful atmosphere created by Pakistan-trained militants. Even I had to flee to Jammu twice because during Governor Jagmohan’s time, there was a marked rise in the incidents of terrorism, and overall atmosphere was that of fear and intimidation. And because of that both Muslims and Hindus fled the valley in large numbers.
Q 4: What does it mean to be a Kashmiri today, particularly for youngsters who have grown up in the past two decades.
A: Kashmiris have been living under the shadow of the gun for the past many years. The constant fear of violence has affected them mentally, disrupted their social and cultural life, and derailed the economy of the valley. The youngsters do not find any employment avenues in the valley, and outside the valley they are scared of venturing out as they have been targeted several times in different parts of the country.
Q 5: Did you face any problem while reporting from Kashmir?
A: Sometimes, yes. Once the leader of a militant group called me up and asked why I was not publishing his organisation’s statements. My answer was that I always report statements that are important. On another occasion, somebody jumped the boundary wall of my house but luckily that day I was in Jammu so no harm came to me.
Q 6: What do Kashmiris feel now? Have they moved on?
A: My feeling is that Kashmiris want a political solution to the problem. Though the scenario has changed quite a lot, there are many Kashmiris who are not happy with the abrogation of Article 370; they want restoration of the statehood, and holding of free and fair elections soon.
Q 7: If you get a chance to report on Kashmir again, would you?
A: Yes, I would love to report on Kashmir again. It is one of the most challenging places for a journalist to tell various stories that are there to be told to the world.
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