ALL STATE KASHMIRI PANDIT CONFERENCE

The religious cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus at the hands of Kashmiri separatists has aroused much controversy and debate. The targeting of minorities in Jammu Province has helped in understanding the true dimensions of ethnic cleansing in the Valley. It has been our contention that ethnic cleansing was not a sudden development. The ground for the destabilisation of Kashmiri Pandits was being prepared in the preceeding years. This is apparent from the historic resolution of All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference at Shitalnath, Srinagar under the Presidentship of Dr SN Peshin in July 1982. We reproduce below the full text of this document.

Resolutions passed at the Convention of the

Kashmiri Pandit Community held at Shitalnath, Srinagar on July 10 &11, 1982

THIS Convention of the Kashmiri Pandits places on record its sense of solidarity with all the members of the Community now residing in different parts of the country and abroad. While extending our fraternal greetings to them all, wherever, they may be, we should like to remind all of them that this holy land of Kashyap Reshi continues to constitute the main base of the community where our history and culture are rooted since times immemorial. This convention wants to impress upon all that it is the sacred duty enjoined by Dharama that all of us maintain closer links amongst ourselves and with our land of origin.

This Convention notes that the constitution of the All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference (Shri Sanatan Dharam Yuvak Sabha) is out-dated and does not meet the requirements of the present times. The Convention therefore authorizes the President to appoint a Sub-Committee, which will look into the matter and consider what may be introduced to the same. These amendments may be considered in a special session of the General Council of the Sabha called at an early date specifically for that very purpose. Meanwhile, it is resolved that there should be six vice-presidents, one for each district.

This Convention hereby reiterates that while it does not believe in confrontation, the All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference will strike with full force and fight for its rights, with all legal, constitutional and other necessary means, where such rights are denied to the community or are infringed upon. The community believes in responsive cooperation.

The Convention hereby brings to the notice of the State government that since the complaints of harassment made by-individual members of the Community to the concerned officers of the Government, do not either receive any attention at all or are not dealt with properly and effectively, the confidence of the minority communities in the State government gets shaken. It, therefore, requests the State government to appoint a Commissioner for Minorities to whom such complainants could approach for justice. The Commissioner for Minorities should be required to have the complaints looked into properly and promptly and should submit his report to the government annually which will place it before the Legislature.

The Convention desires to bring to the notice of the State government that the community has noted painfully that in the course of years since the adoption of the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution, the representation of the Community in the State Legislature has gradually dwindled. It is time to remind the State government that in the erstwhile Praja Sabha with a total elected membership of about 40, that too on a limited franchise, the Community had three seats reserved for it. Further, it is recorded in Naya Kashmir the well known socio-political manifesto of the National Conference, that, in any new order, two seats shall be specially reserved for this Community in the State Assembly. This Convention, therefore, demands that the government should give a serious consideration to this commitment and see that the community is fairly well represented and is given at least the same treatment as has been meted out to the Anglo-Indian Minority by the Center. If necessary, the Constitution may be amended in this behalf.

This Convention hereby reminds the State government that the minorities anywhere in the world are being regarded as a sacred trust with the government. It is imperative for the government to always keep in mind the socio-cultural, educational, political economic and religious interests of the minorities. In this context the Convention expects the State government to assess the condition of the minorities in the State from time to time and take prompt measures to improve the same and remove their legitimate grievances. Such an assessment could best be made by extending the jurisdction of the Minority Commission set up by the Central government, to the State. If it is not possible to do so, the State government should appoint a similar statutory Minority Commission of its own for the purpose, with similar terms of reference.

This Convention views with serious concern the encroachments made on the lands and properties of the temples and shrines belonging to the minority community and regrets that despite the best efforts on its part, these encroachments have not been vacated. A glaring instance is that of the famous shrine of Shri Bairovnath Asthapan, Chhattabal, Srinagar, doors of which have now remained closed to the devotees for more than a decade. The convention asks the government to take up the matter in hand earnestly and without further delay and ensure that such encroachments by anti-national elements are immediately vacated.

This convention places on record its deep sense of regret at the fact that the community is being discriminated against in the allotment of seats in professional courses, admissions to higher studies and even in the grant of educational loans to young men and women of the community who are selected for training in colleges outside the State on the basis of their merit. The same system of discrimination prevails even in the matter of recruitment to the government jobs, promotions, etc. The Convention demands that the government should immediately stop such discrimination and injustice.

The Kashmiri Pandits of the State greatly resent the delaying tactics and indifferent attitude of the Revenue authorities of the State government in issuing State Subject Certificates to the members of the minority community though they are the permanent hereditary State Subjects of this State. It is further resolved that all the Kashmiri Pandits of the State who, due to political upheaval, left the State, should be declared as permanent state subjects.

Resolved that the government, be approached for making public the report of the Kohli Commission appointed by it in connection with the 1967 agitation and the grievances of the Community in this regard redressed.

The Convention deplores the fact that the land-reform laws introduced in the State from time to time have been unfair and defective and have been implemented in a tardy manner with the result that the petty landholders, particularly the Kashmiri Pandit landholders belonging to the rural areas, whose source of livelihood was this very agricultural land, have been adversely affected. As a result, most of the Kashmiri Pandits living in villages having been deprived of their lands, have had to move out from their ancestral villages and settle in the city or outside the State, as the government did not provide them with alternate avenues for supporting themselves. The population of the Kashmiri Pandits in the villages has, therefore, been considerably reduced. The fact that the land reform measures have been ill conceived and are in violation of natural justice is corroborated by the successive judgements of the Honorable Supreme Court of India, which has struck down these laws time and again. The situation is all the more alarming in as much as even where the law permits the petty land-holders to resume land for self-cultivation, the tenants do not allow them to do so and use muscle power to keep them away. This creates a lot of tension causing a feeling of insecurity amongst the members of the minority community living in the rural areas. The authorities concerned also show slackness in dealing with such cases. The Convention, therefore, urges the government to consider the situation and introduce the reform laws in a manner so as to ensure justice for all concerned.

It has been a great desire of the Hindus of the Valley to visit the Holy Shrine of Sharda Mata situated in the presently Pakistan occupied area of the State. It is urged upon the concerned authorities to make arrangements so that this holy place is thrown open, to the Hindus to enable them to visit it, for religious purposes as is being done for the Sikhs when they wish to visit Nankana Sahib in Pakistan.

This convention strongly resents the move by some people to change the historical, traditional and cultural names of various places in the Valley without any rationale behind it, and, therefore, urges upon the government to stop this move immediately as such steps can only lead to distortion of our culture, and history. Also resolved that the new link road between Nai Sarak and Barbar Shah in Srinagar and be named as Shri Bhat Road.

This Convention resolves that the Hindu Religious Endowments Bill under examination by Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and its select committee be supported wholeheartedly and the mischievous efforts of vested interests foiled. It is further resolved that the clause relating to government interference in the affairs of all shrines, temples and other properties be removed from the aforesaid bill.

This Convention notes with dismay that most of the Hindu places of pilgrimage in the Valley are more or less in an abandoned state in as much as the roads leading to these holy places are not fit for traffic and are being not properly maintained and developed, quite often there are no adequate arrangements for transport with the result that pilgrims wishing to visit these places of worship face a lot of inconvenience. This Convention notes with regret that there are glaring instances where even the roads leading to these holy places are encroached upon or grabbed by anti-social elements with the result that people cannot go to these places. This Convention, therefore, urges upon the authorities concerned to pay proper attention to the matter and to see that these places of pilgrimage are properly developed for religious purposes and tourist attraction and that the roads leading thereto are well maintained.

This Convention takes serious notice of the ever growing problem of unemployment among the educated youth of the community a problem that has now well high attained alarming proportions. The Convention is of the view that, to mitigate the hardships of these educated young men and women, a supreme effort on a collective basis has to be made by the entire community. To achieve this objective, this Convention appeals to all the members of the community, where-ever they may be, to rise to the occasion by contributing each at least one month’ income in the form of donation or interest-free loan to raise a sizeable fund to be utilized for creating job opportunities or for giving help to the needy persons to enable them to stand on their own legs. This fund could also be utilized for generating educational and industrial ventures that would not only help tackling the problem of unemployment but also increase the overall potential resources of the State. The fund will be administered by a duly constituted trust comprising the members of the community of proven ability, dedication, sincerity and integrity.

Resolved that funds be raised, as appealed by the Sheetalnath Ashram Sabha, Srinagar, for constructing a building for commercial and other social and religious purposes in the Sheetalnath premises and also for enclosing the area which lies exposed on every side.

This Convention, realizing the dire necessity of establishing the organization on available financial footing, resolves that all affiliated units in the city of Srinagar and outside (in Jammu and in muffasil area) be directed to collect speedily an annual subscription of Rs 12 from each family in the community and to remit 50% of such collections to the Central office of the Sabha, while retaining the balance for meeting their day-to-day requirements for their organizational and other activities.

This Convention notes with regret and alarm the growing tendency among all sections of the Community to trample on the sense of social responsibility by incurring unnecessary, wasteful, meaningless and harmful expenditure on marriages, Yagneopavits, betrothals etc thus rendering life more and more hard and unpleasant, especially for people with limited resources. As all schemes of so-called social reform have been rendered meaningless, there remains the only way of appealing to the conscience and spirit of young men and women to rise to the occasion and boldly come forward and break the so-called social conventions of dowry, showy feasts, receptions etc which have neither any sense of true dharma in them nor are they in consonance with the modern age and dignity, and totally boycott all such functions, feats, ceremonies etc. This Convention also authorizes the president to appoint a high power committee comprising learned Pandits, known social workers, men of integrity and educated ladies, to draw up a workable social, religious and ritual code of conduct meant to govern the performance of such religious and social functions. The committee should prepare and place its report before the Working Committee within a specific time limit, so that the recommendations may be strictly enforced as a measure of absolute social necessity of our times. Resolved that:

A Sarai and a hostel be constructed in the Sheetalnath premises for people from rural areas who visit the city quite often and have no accommodation of their own to stay in.

The convention places on record its appreciation for the good work done by the managements of many shrines and temples in properly maintaining and even improving the condition of some of these shrines and temples etc, but at the same time notes with regret that the condition of many shrines and temples is deteriorating and in many cases the property of shrines and temples is being misused and misappropriated by some unscrupulous elements in our own community. This Convention, therefore, authorizes the president to appoint a working group to look into the existing condition of all these temples and shrines along with their properties, and make recommendations for their proper maintenance. This group should submit its report within a specific period of time to the Working Committee.

(i) Resolved that the illegal sale or leasing out of the land and properties attached to the Hindu shrines, temples, etc be stopped forthwith through an ordinance/legislation and, pending such action by the government the authorities of the All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference must initiate legal action wherever necessary. (ii) All property/land belonging to the Hindus taken away from them after 1947 be restored to the community.

The Convention resolves that steps be taken for the promotion of Hindu cultural among the masses and for this the following dharmic and social activities be taken up by the Sabha immediately: i) Creation of Pathshalas for teaching of Hindu scriptures and setting up of libraries of Hindu literature at tehsil level; ii) Looking after the upkeep of the Hindu shrines and temples and fighting for the identity of Kashmiri Pandits; iii) Helping construction of prayer halls, meeting halls, at every tehsil; iv) Holding of community level marriages, Yagneopavits and Hawans and mobilizing strong public opinion against bad social customs; v) Creation of a fund to help the victims of natural and other calamities and stressing upon the government for proper relief and rehabilitation of the victims.

The Convention notes with satisfaction that during the past thirty years a sizeable amount of literature of excellent quality has been produced in Kashmiri language and the State government has encouraged the progress of the language in various ways.. It notes that the State government has adopted an official script for the same on the basis of Perso-Arabic alphabet. As it is desirable that knowledge of Kashmiri literature should be made available to all those who could benefit by it, especially people from outside the Valley who are not conversant with the script, this Convention requests the government to adopt the Devnagri script already in vogue as an associate script for the language.

The Bohra Biradari is an ancient class of the Hindu Community and is an integral and separable part of the Kashmiri Pandit Community. However,, unfortunately, it was not being well-treated so far and has all along been getting a step-motherly treatment. The community has now arisen and realized that this distinction of caste and creed must end and Kashmiri Pandit Community should not consider this Biradari as separate from it self. It is therefore, resolved that necessary steps be taken to remove this discrimination, so that the section of the community is accepted as a part and parcel of the whole community of the Kashmiri Pandits. In this context it is resolved that all members of the Bohra Biradari must now affix ‘Pandit’ before their names which they were not doing so far.

Resolved that to ensure better prospects of social and economic security for our children and future generations, the All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference and its units shall ensure with the help of experienced, qualified and talented intelligentsia of the Baradri to give a concrete shape to the conception of a workable and adequate centralized educational-cum-industrial institution or in situations.

Resolved that the Biradari members should strive to encourage our youth who possess the aptitude to run cooperative or individual small scale industries or some kind of business instead of hunting for petty jobs and should also promise to guarantee their social status within the community, thus to get rid of age-old dependence on services alone.

The Convention resolves to create Community Vocational Centers for helping the poor and deserving persons.

Resolved that in order that the Daily Martand the official organ and mouthpiece of the organization, after its resumption should continue uninterruptedly on a solid and sound financial base, a list of at least one thousand life patrons with obligatory donation of RS 100 each should be drawn up immediately. The paper should be run as a separate unit under a properly constituted trust but should adhere to the policy of the All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference (SDYS).

The Convention resolves that the All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference (Sri Sanatan Dharam Yuvak Sabha) will fight tooth and nail all anti-social, anti-national and communal elements to keep our centuries old tradition of communal harmony and secularism alive. It will make all-out efforts to maintain the traditional brotherhood among various communities living in this holy land and do all that is necessary for national integration and communal harmony.