[Reader-list] Gowhar Geelani calling for the Return of KashmiriPandits to Kashmir in 'Greater Kashmir'

[Pawan Durani]

Dear Shuddha ,

Please leave Kashmiri Pandit to their own fate . Justifying "personal
responsiblity " by a jurnolist for safeguarding Pandits , who himslef
lives abroad is laughable.

You in have a habit of rubbing salt over our wonds many times , please
do not inflict more pain on us.

We would be obliged.

We know our destination ....Homeland

Pawan



On 9/23/10, TaraPrakash <taraprakash at gmail.com> wrote:
> Is this journalist calling KPs to Germany or Kashmir? Wherever, it is a
> right kind of noise to make when you know pandits have no one but themselves
> responsible for returning to the valley when renewed threats to other
> minorities have become the orfer of the day. Neither someone sitting in
> Germany nor someone sitting in Delhi can take responsibility of lives in a
> place death and disorder is the order of the day.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Shuddhabrata Sengupta" <shuddha at sarai.net>
> To: "sarai-list List" <reader-list at sarai.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2010 12:52 PM
> Subject: [Reader-list] Gowhar Geelani calling for the Return of
> KashmiriPandits to Kashmir in 'Greater Kashmir'
>
>
>> Dear All,
>>
>> Here is a forthright and moving piece by Gowhar Geelani in today's
>> Greater Kashmir newspaper. Notice how he takes 'personal  responsibility'.
>>
>> And how he talks about the value of repeated  entreaties.  Hope it will be
>>
>> of interest to all.
>>
>> best
>>
>> Shuddha
>>
>> -----------------------------------
>>
>>
>>
>> Come home,  Come soon : On the hoped for return of Kashmiri Pandits  to
>> Kashmir
>>
>> Gowhar Geelani - Greater Kashmir, 22 September 2010
>> http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2010/Sep/22/return-of-kps-34.asp
>>
>>
>> I vividly remember my favourite school teacher Ms. Anita. As her name
>> would suggest she was a Kashmiri Pandit. She was my form-teacher at
>> school. I remember my others Pandit teachers too. Mrs Bharti Koul,  Teja
>> Ma'am and Usha Ma'am. I owe a lot to all of them for what I'm  today. I
>> remember how Anita Ma'am would ensure that I secured first  position in my
>>
>> class. I also remember how Teja Ma'am would want me to  be the best of the
>>
>> lot! I remember everything.
>>
>> Those were beautiful and peaceful days in our Kashmir, full of sweet
>> memories. Muslims, Pandits and Sikhs studying in the same school,  playing
>>
>> together in playgrounds, sharing their lunches, attending  marriage
>> functions, birthday parties, offering condolences when  someone in the
>> neighbourhood died, sympathizing with each other and  even engaging in
>> smaller verbal brawls as friends normally do.
>>
>> 'Music of bullets replaced school bells'
>> Then, all of a sudden, tranquillity vanished in thin air. Peace  didn't
>> stay, it was blown away into pieces. My beautiful memories in  'Angels
>> Public School, 'Abhay Public School', 'Light Public School'  and 'Shaheen
>> Public School' in Srinagar soon started turning into  nightmares.
>>
>> The huge paintings of greats like Dr. Allama Iqbal, Sir Syed Ahmed  Khan
>> and Rabindra Nath Tagore hanging on the walls of my school were  now being
>>
>> hit by stray bullets on a regular basis. Music of bullets  replaced the
>> 'recess' and 'period' bells in my school.
>>
>> 'My beautiful garden isn't attractive anymore'
>> Life was not the same again after 1989. Everything changed,  dramatically.
>>
>> I remember everything. How Indian troopers humiliated  my elderly people,
>> day in and day out; how they slapped me after on  their directions (read
>> orders) I'd read a poster of a popular  militant outfit pasted on an
>> electric pole in our locality; how they  stared at me, abused, hurled
>> choicest invectives and threatened me  while walking on my streets for no
>> fault of mine; how they made me to  bend on my knees and walk on my elbows
>>
>> on an undeclared curfew day,  when I and my other classmates were to
>> appear in class 10th papers at  Bemina Degree College, Srinagar. It all
>> happened in early years of  1990's. The memories of their abuses and slaps
>>
>> haunt me, still.
>>
>> I remember the Army crackdowns, operation 'Catch and Kill', the  firing
>> incidents, cross-firing incidents, grenade blasts, mine  blasts,
>> encounters, massive anti-India protest demonstrations,  slogans for
>> freedom from India, slogans in favour of militants, even  some slogans
>> against Pandit brethren.
>>
>> And I also do remember Pandits leaving from my Valley. That was a  painful
>>
>> memory.Many blame Mr. Jagmohan, the then notorious Governor  of the
>> strife-ridden Jammu and Kashmir for the exodus of Kashmiri  Pandits.
>> But, I will blame myself
>> Yes, I know I was a school-going boy at that time, not influential  enough
>>
>> to be responsible for their migration or to prevent their  exodus; but I
>> still blame myself. I strongly feel and believe that  we, as a proud
>> Kashmiri nation, should have prevented their exodus.  Yes, it may be my
>> idealism. Yes, I know those were not ideal times.
>>
>> Who's responsible for this?
>> Today, there are television debates on Indian media about  'Kashmiriyat'.
>> Who's responsible for the exodus of Pandits? We've too  many answers
>> coming. Many Pandits blame their own Muslim brethren,  some blame
>> militants and pro-freedom forces active in Kashmir, yet  others blame the
>> unfortunate circumstances of 1989. Many Muslims  blame former Governor Mr.
>>
>> Jagmohan, others say Pandits shouldn't have  left Kashmir while few others
>>
>> maintain that what happened was  unfortunate and should never have
>> actually happened, but the  migration could not have been avoided during
>> those hard times.
>>
>> I've a different take on the issue. I believe that I'm responsible  for
>> the exodus of Pandits. I believe Muslim community of Kashmir as a  whole
>> is responsible for the migration of Pandits. I also believe  that Pandits
>> too are responsible for their migration. For the simple  reason that
>> together we shared beautiful history of elegant bonds,  exemplary
>> friendships and harmony, and we, as a great Kashmiri  nation, should have
>> never allowed the circumstances dictate our  decisions, our lives, our
>> history; and above all our great cultural  bonds! But they did.
>>
>> Was it possible?
>> Though in my previous articles I may have pointed fingers at the  politics
>>
>> of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the chairman of a faction of pro- freedom alliance
>>
>> Hurriyat Conference and another leader Sajad Gani  Lone, but here I must
>> shower praises on both of them. Mirwaiz Umar  lost his father, Mirwiaz
>> Molvi Farooq to bullets on 21st May, 199o;  while as Lone brothers lost
>> their father, Abdul Gani Lone to bullets  on the twelfth death anniversary
>>
>> of Molvi Farooq; 21st May, 2002.  Mirwaiz Umar, Sajad Lone and Bilal Lone
>> too had an option to leave  Kashmir and get settled down abroad, far away
>> from hell in Kashmir;  but they didn't, instead chose to face the
>> challenges the  circumstances had thrown before them. Kudos to them!
>>
>> Leave these brave leaders aside for a moment. During late 1990's my
>> mother was seriously wounded when militants hurled a grenade towards  a
>> bunker of Indian troopers at Safakadal, Srinagar. The grenade  missed the
>> intended target, as would quite often happen during those  days, and thus
>> like many other pedestrians; serious injuries were  inflicted on my mother
>>
>> too. Her left foot was badly wounded and it  took almost four years to
>> heal, though not permanently. Our family  did not leave Kashmir. We too
>> had the option. Because my father had  his shawl business running
>> successfully in Kolkata since almost three  decades.
>>
>> Should Pandits too have braved the 'come what may' and avoided  leaving
>> Kashmir, our beloved motherland? Well, debatable. May be it  wasn't
>> possible. Or, may be it was. Perhaps yes, perhaps no!
>>
>> 'Life hasn't been easy'
>> Life hasn't been the same for Pandits after migration. It hasn't been
>> easy for them in the migrant camps of Jammu or in different parts of
>> India. Sameer Bhat, my former colleague at Eenadu Television in
>> Hyderabad, India in 2003-04, would often narrate the painful stories  of
>> migration. Sameer, his wife, ailing mother and kids would bear the
>> scorching heat of Jammu while sitting in a temporary shed that  consisted
>> of only one-room. His stories were very moving and would  often leave a
>> pang in my heart. Like hundreds of other Pandit  families, his family too
>> had left Kashmir in early 1990's. A close  Pandit friend of my father in
>> Rainawari, Srinagar, too had to leave  Kashmir alongwith his entire
>> family. Their house was burnt down and  reduced to ashes. This friend of
>> my father also used to buy shawls  from us. At the time of migration he
>> owed us a lot of money, the  cheque he had given to my father bounced.
>> After apologizing he  promised to repay every single penny in installments
>>
>> once he settled  down in Kolkata. My father offered all possible help and
>> said to the  family that they need not to pay our money back, because we
>> understood what they had gone through. But, as an honest businessman  he
>> kept his word, his promise; and repaid all due amount in smaller
>> installments in the following years. That is Pandit pride! My  father's
>> friend kept the friendship going, his Pandit pride alive and  with it the
>> reputation of an honest trader too.
>>
>> 'Burden of unique expectations'
>> Kashmir is a special place having its unique history. During our  marriage
>>
>> ceremonies we extend invitation to guests in a way that is  unique. It is
>> unparalleled. No where else in the world invitation is  extended or
>> expected like as in Kashmir. Even in this age of facebook  and twitter; an
>>
>> information and technology age, particular members of  a Kashmiri family-
>> that has fixed marriage of a son or a daughter- go  personally to homes of
>>
>> their close relatives, friends and neighbours  to extend an invitation.
>> Then, some two-three weeks before the  marriage an invitation card is
>> sent; as the marriage date comes  closer several telephonic calls are
>> made, and then a final call too.  At times, even this may not be enough
>> and that is perhaps why many  relatives or friends throw their tantrums
>> during marriage ceremonies;  you may call it an attention-seeking tactics!
>>
>> If all relatives, neighbours and friends come and attend the marriage
>> ceremony, it is considered a miracle! If all of them do not come, no  one
>> is surprised! That is Kashmir. It is not that Kashmiri Pandits or
>> Kashmiri Muslims are at war with each other after 1989. It is the  result
>> of their great and unique tradition and history that they've  such huge
>> expectations from each other. As a matter of fact, they're  not blaming or
>>
>> accusing each other, instead throwing tantrums,  seeking attention and
>> expecting a lot!
>>
>> To me what actually Pandits are asking is this:"If we left Kashmir,  why
>> didn't you call us back? Are merely one or two calls enough?  Shouldn't
>> you be doing more and calling us back and receiving us with  open arms?"
>> And Muslims are replying:"Why did you leave us when  things were tough
>> here, you shouldn't have left us alone in the first  place? Shouldn't
>> you've faced the challenges of the circumstances  like we did? Shouldn't
>> you have stayed and never gone?
>>
>> Both actually expect a lot from each other! There is no communal
>> disharmony in Kashmir. Only circumstances have been challenging and  the
>> going has been hard and tough. The movement for freedom in  Kashmir is not
>>
>> against Kashmiri Pandits or Sikhs, it is not against  the Indian people,
>> it is against the Indian state and its wicked  state-craft.
>> Today, I once again extend an invitation to all of them. Please come
>> back. 'Walev Yeyev Wapas'!
>>
>> (Gowhar Geelani is a Kashmiri journalist based in Bonn, Germany since
>> 2006, where he works for Deutsche Welle [Voice of Germany] as an  Editor.
>> gowhargeelani at gmail.com)
>>
>>
>>
>> Shuddhabrata Sengupta
>> The Sarai Programme at CSDS
>> Raqs Media Collective
>> shuddha at sarai.net
>> www.sarai.net
>> www.raqsmediacollective.net
>>
>>
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