Hundreds of people joined the Kashmiri Pandits in the protests at Jantar Mantar on Friday, April 1. The Kashmiri Pandits held demonstrations over the exodus of the community from the Valley in the 1990s, which came to the limelight once again following the release of Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files.
Sumeer Chrungoo, president of Kashmir Samiti Delhi, said that if the government is really serious about the return of Kashmiri Pandits, then the first and foremost thing it has to do is to recognise that Kashmiri Pandits are the victims of genocide.
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Neal Pandita, a 17-year-old boy, leading the group of youngsters wanted the judiciary to immediately act on the petition filed by a Kashmiri Pandit that dealt with fast tracking the cases of killings and forming an SIT.
He said, “Any delay in justice weakens the faith of youngsters in the justice delivery system and mechanism.”
Kashmiri Pandits stage protest at Jantar Mantar. (Photo: India Today)
Jahangir, a 40-year-old Kashmiri Muslim, who was part of the protests said, “Kashmiri Muslims have also suffered at the hands of militants. Jihadis used our mosques against Pandits, committed heinous crimes against them.”
He, however, added, “The truth is that our mosques, our relatives, our friends were spewing venom against the Kashmiri Pandit community and we were mute spectators in agreement to the genocide that was being committed. Our own people should have stood up. I know the Jagmohan theory is a lie and therefore, today I have come to support the Pandits.”
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The key demands of the protestors were to recognise that the Kashmiri Hindus are victims of genocide, form a Genocide Commission to fast track the cases and identify the perpetrators of the same, enact the Prevention Genocide bill, and create ‘One Place Settlement in Kashmir “in line with Panun Kashmir Resolution of 1991.’
The protestors carrying placards and banners raised slogans in favour of these four demands.