KP Balidan Divas

KP Balidan Divas-Significance

“It is the cause, not the death that makes the martyr.” – Napoleon Bonaparte

14^th September will always remain etched in memory of every KP purely because of the fact that on that day in 1989 one of our tallest leader, Sh Tika Lal Taploo fell to the bullets of Islamic zealots in the heart of Srinagar. He was a revered KP leader who always stood up for the interest of the community. Islamic terrorists knew that his killing will silence the most dynamic and formidable KP leader thus triggering a sense of meekness and nervousness among the tiny KP community living in Kashmir. Through this killing these terrorists intended to elicit one of the worst exoduses and genocides in the history of mankind. The killings did not stop here. One after the other, KP leaders and activists were targeted by these cussed fundamentalists throughout the length and breadth of Kashmir. Soon after this, on Novemebr 4, 1989, Sh Neelkanth Ganjoo, a High court judge, was killed in the broad day light in the heart of Srinagar. He was assassinated to avenge the death sentence he had pronounced on the hijacker Maqbool Bhat. Between September 1989 to January 1990 around 400 KPs (Including women) were killed. Notable among them were Sh Lassa Kaul, Sh B K Ganjoo, Sh Sarwanand Premi, Satish Tikoo and others. As I write this, I feel as a community we have been hoodwinked and deceived by not only Kashmiri Muslims but by successive Governments who have been at the helm of affairs since 1990. Passing on the buck is the best phrasing that I can attribute to this dastardly and genocidal saga. Sometimes I feel that we have paid an elephantine price for upholding the Idea of India in Kashmir whereas our Government at the centre has conveniently chosen to look in the other direction.

There have been umpteen attempts made by these Islamic terrorists to colour our exodus as a conspiracy of Indian government to malign their so called freedom struggle. They are quite vociferous in propagating that it was Mr Jagmohan, erstwhile governor of J&K, who facilitated our exit from Kashmir in January 1990. However killing of Girja Tikoo, Prana Ganjoo and Sarla Bhat (In 1990) in cold blood by these Islamic fundamentalists exposes them beyond any reasonable doubt and brings out the insidious psyche and ethos of majority community of Kashmir at that time. Liberals who talk about human right violations in Kashmir and elsewhere in India must hang their heads in shame on these three dastardly rapes and murders. Girja Tikoo, a poor lab technician was kidnapped on June 26, 1990 and then brutalized and violated for next three days only to be found cut into two halves by the band saw. Even to imagine the kind of agony she must have gone through sends shivers down my spine. Similarly on 04.06.1990, Mrs Prana Ganjoo alongwith her husband, Prof K L Ganjoo was abducted and Gang raped for several days and then her mortal remains were thrown into the river Jhelum. Her husband too was killed and her poor children were orphaned forever. Sarla Bhat who was a staff nurse at SKIMS, Soura, was kidnapped by JKLF terrorists on April 14, 1990. Her dead body was later found with bullet wounds on April 19 from downtown area of Srinagar. Her post mortem report revealed the horrific trauma she had undergone. Another KP girl raped before she was killed. Her body was tagged as a police informant by these terrorist with the sole intention of creating hysteria amongst the KP community and denying her a dignified funeral as her father was refused firewood and other necessary items required for her last rites by the majority community. Kofi Anan has aptly said that, “Genocide begins with the killing of one man-not for what he has done, but because of who he is”. Creation of false narrative by majority community of Kashmir is a juvenile attempt to paint their misdemeanor and transgression in different shade and show to the world that their cause is justified. However they forget that you can run with a lie but you can’t hide from the truth. It will catch you.

Almost thirty years have gone by since we left Kashmir. Nobody thought that our exile will be so long. When I look into the past and think about the hardships that we faced in 1990’s I sometimes wonder, are we sons of the lesser God that nobody came to our rescue. Our exodus from Kashmir is reminiscent of the fact that before this, we have been forced out of Kashmir six times by Pathans and Muslim fundamentalists and each time we have gone back to claim our motherland. Our struggle in Kashmir in the modern history began in 1931 with Kanikoot massacre where nine family members of Zana Bhat were axed to death by majority community of nearby wattakul village. Hence our exodus in 1990 should not be seen in isolation. For us Balidan divas is not just another day. It is that day which reminds us of the excesses that have been committed on us by the Islamist zealots from times immemorial. It is that day which brings to fore the question of our existence. Without any doubt we are a dwindling lot now. It is that day which reminds us of our looted and battered temples lacerated by the hatred of these fundamentalists. Almost all our places of worship have been turned into ruins. But l must tell our tormentors that although we come from ruins, we are not ruined. We will come back to claim our land and that will be the biggest tribute to our martyrs. I would like to conclude with the following lines from Jagdamba Prasad Hiteshi’s famous poem,

" Shahedoon ke chitaon per judeghey har baras meley, Watan per marney walon ka yehi baki       nishaan hoga”

                 

 “ Kabhi Woh din bhi aayega jab apna raj dekhengey, Jab apni hi Zami aur apna aasma hoga”

                                                                                               

By – Sachin Raina