Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Kashmiri Hindu advocacy groups in the United States renewed their call for justice, restoration and secure rehabilitation of the community, marking January 19 as Exodus Day.
In a statement, the Kashmir Hindu Foundation and Panun Kashmir described the date as a reminder of what they called the systematic displacement of Kashmiri Hindus from the Valley.
The groups said January 19 symbolises a “deliberate and sustained process of ethnic cleansing” that uprooted an indigenous community. They said Kashmiri Hindus lost not only homes but also roots and civilisational identity. Sunanda Vashisht, writer and political commentator and Chairperson of the Jonaraja Institute of Genocide and Atrocities Studies, said the crimes could not be seen as a single historical episode. Panun Kashmir Convener Dr Agnishekhar said the return and rehabilitation of displaced Kashmiri Hindus was possible only through the adoption of the Margdarshan Resolution by the Government of India.
Any alternative approach, he said, failed to address the political, security, and civilisational aspects of the issue. Nitin Dhar, speaking for the Panun Kashmir Youth Wing, rejected the narrative of “Kashmiriyat.” He said Kashmir historically followed “Kashmir Deshachar,” a distinct civilisational and cultural ethos that was later destroyed. He said falsified narratives could not replace historical truth. Kashmir Hindu Foundation founder Deepak Ganju demanded that all movable and immovable properties sold by displaced Kashmiri Pandits after 1989 be officially declared “distress sales.” KHF President Anit Monga also called for a blanket ban on acquisition or encroachment of abandoned properties.
