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

[TaraPrakash]

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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