“The Pandit exile is the single biggest and most important narrative tool used by India to delegitimise and undermine the Kashmir’s struggle for existence. This narrative has been so strongly ingrained that every Indian who knows nothing about Kashmir will ‘know’ that lakhs of Pandits were murdered, lakhs were raped and thousands of temples were destroyed by crazed Muslims. This has been the most successful rallying cry for aggression against Kashmir by India, robbing Kashmiris of even the natural human sympathy even an opponent would have on seeing our condition.
“The majority of Pandits have done nothing to counter this propaganda, but have nurtured it, keeping the pot of hatred and falsehood festering. When Hindu India seeks a Hindu resurgence and righting of wrongs ostensibly perpetrated by Muslims, the efficacy of this narrative has played a significant role in dehumanising us and, consequently, in our brutal destruction.
“I say, ‘Enough!’ Enough of apologising and placating. Pandits know what happened, who did what and how many died. If they don’t present this to the Indians hell-bent upon a genocide of Kashmiris, then they don’t deserve our apologising. An apology we can ill afford. They are as much our murderers as the soldiers holding the guns.”
–Shuja Kosher