Kashmir's tragedy has deep origins. Scholarly works and journalistic exercises have dug deep to uncover and investigate the decades of repeated cycles of bloodshed, waves of secession, the entrance of Pakistan-funded terror organisations and the seething anger among people. We've had accounts depending on the component of the topic they were interested in, as is always the case with complex histories of places and people.
"The Kashmir Files": What is it about?
Vivek Agnihotri wrote and directed the film “The Kashmir Files”, which is based on the early 1990s’ flight of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley. The film has notable actors such as Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Mithun Chakraborty and Darshan Kumar.
Why the film made headlines
“The Kashmir Files” has made the news for a variety of reasons. One of the reasons, according to many including Kashmiri Pandits, is that it depicts the plight of Kashmiri Pandits who were attacked, killed and otherwise affected. Many have praised the filmmaker for exposing the truth, which they claim was suppressed from public view for political reasons. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his support for the film.
What’s the cause of Kashmiri Pandits' mass migration?
Thousands of Kashmir Pandits fled to other areas of the country in the early 1990s to avoid attacks. Their migration has always been a delicate topic and a stinging reminder of the occurrences during the onslaught that led to this forced mass relocation.
A peep into the history
Previously, the Dogras governed Kashmir. Maharaja Hari Singh was crowned Maharaja of Kashmir in 1925. A few years later, in 1931, a movement against the Maharaja's reign began in Lahore saying that Islam, the valley's majority religion, was in jeopardy. Sheikh Abdullah, a popular leader in the valley, founded the Muslim Conference at this time which was eventually renamed the National Conference for political reasons in 1939.
Mohammad Ali Jinnah had wanted a separate nation for Muslims before independence and Sheikh Abdullah had consistently guaranteed the people of Kashmir of a secular nation during this time. Sheikh Abdullah's movement gained backing from Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, a Kashmiri Pandit who was one of the leaders who opposed Jinnah.
However in October 1947, just months after the country's separation, Pakistan attacked Kashmir, prompting Maharaja Hari Singh to seek India's assistance. It was then that India and Kashmir signed a statement of accession. An instrument of accession, as it is often known, is a legal document created by the Government of India Act 1935 that allowed princely states to join either India or Pakistan during the partition.
The beginning of unrest in the valley
Unrest in the valley is supposed to have started in the early 1980s. After Sheikh Abdullah's death, the National Conference baton was given to his son Farooq Abdullah, who went on to win the elections in 1983. However, the State's political stability was soon jeopardised when Ghulam Mohammed Shah, Farooq Abdullah's brother-in-law, withdrew from the party and allied with the Congress.
Following the death sentence of Kashmiri separatist Maqbool Bhat of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), which is now a proscribed terrorist group, and events surrounding the Babri Masjid, the valley's tranquil atmosphere became turbulent in the following years.
The ties between the two communities, Hindu and Muslim, were severely strained in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
Kashmiri Pandits massacred
The killing of BJP leader Pandit Tika Lal Taploo in September 1989 heightened tensions in the valley. After the deaths of retired judge Neel Kanth Ganjoo and journalist-lawyer Prem Nath Bhat, the Kashmiri Pandits were subjected to a horrific attack. The problem went out of hand in the early 1990s. Loudspeakers were used to make announcements for Kashmiri Pandits to evacuate the valley. Between February and March 1990, many of Kashmiri Pandits were relocated to different regions of the country as a result of the organised attacks.
“The Kashmir Files” is causing a stir with fans flocking to theatres to see it. The film has made Rs 219 crore in just two weeks after its release.
(The writer is a BJP Odisha spokesperson)