SRINAGAR: Amid the ongoing controversy over The Kashmir Files, demand for setting up a commission to probe the circumstances that led to mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in 1990 is getting shriller.
“A commission should be set up to probe the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley,” PDP chief and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti told reporters in Srinagar.
“People were caught between the guns of India and Pakistan. People got killed and Kashmiri Pandits too got killed because of it.”
Taking a dig at the BJP for promoting The Kashmir Files, she said, “Had the PM and the BJP done something for the Pandits in the last eight years, their situation would have been different today.”
According to J&K government, 219 Pandits were killed in militancy from 1990 to 2010. Both National Conference and PDP have been blaming then Governor Jagmohan for the migration of Pandits.
J&K BJP general secretary Ashok Koul, too, demanded setting up of a commission to probe the exodus of Pandits from the Valley. He said a commission headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court should be formed to probe the exodus.
“A white paper should be presented on the exodus of Pandits,” Koul said and indirectly blamed the NC for the exodus of Pandits.
“What we are witnessing today is the result of the poll rigging in 1987. Had they not done rigging at that time and not declared the winner a loser, we would not have been facing such a situation as we are witnessing today,” he said.
NC president Farooq Abdullah has proposed setting up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to find out what had happened at that time. “Whatever happened in 1990 was a tragedy. I would like everything to be investigated properly,” Abdullah has said.
A BJP MP urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday to set up a panel headed by a Supreme Court judge to bring out the truth of the atrocities committed in Jammu and Kashmir against groups such as Kashmiri Pandits and Dalits.
Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah for abrogating Article 370 of the Constitution, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Haryana's Rohtak Arvind Sharma said it was a big step for the country's integrity.
"We are seeing through various mediums what happened in Kashmir, how efforts were made to trample upon Kashmiri Pandits, Gurjars, Dalits and others," he said during the Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha.
"But to bring out the truth, I would urge the home minister to constitute a high-level inquiry panel headed by a sitting Supreme Court judge," Sharma said.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday asserted that justice, democracy and economic development were reaching everyone in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 and an environment of normalcy was returning in the Union Territory.
The minister was replying to a discussion on the Budget 2022-23 for the Jammu and Kashmir (J-K) in Rajya Sabha.
The Upper House later returned the relevant bills, completing the approval of the Rs 1.42-lakh-crore budget for the Union Territory by Parliament.
"The various impediments which prevailed in the state for industrial development have also been removed, and the industrial promotion scheme of J & K given by Government of India has opened new doors for the development in J & K," Sitharaman said.
Currently, a delegation from the Gulf Cooperation countries is looking at possibilities of increasing their investment in the Union Territory, she said.
The minister also noted that investments worth Rs 3,000 crore were finalised during the Dubai Expo in 2022, and cited some agreements signed by private companies in this regard.
The minister also told the House that after the abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, terror activities have significantly declined, and development works are being carried out in the Union Territory.
Sitharaman said there has been a 33 per cent drop in infiltration in 2021, a 90 per cent decrease in ceasefire violations, a 61 per cent decline in terrorism-related incidents, and an 80 per cent fall in abductions by terrorists.
Also, there has been a 33 per cent decline in the number of police and security personnel martyred in 2021 over the previous year.
Further, she said there was no incident of weapon snatching in 2021 and in 2022 so far.
Sitharaman also referred to the number of terrorists killed, saying 180 (148 locals and 32 foreigners, including 44 top commanders) were eliminated in 2021.
"With these kinds of containments very clearly happening, the environment for normalcy and also for attracting investments are happening," the Finance Minister asserted.
She informed that 100 per cent COVID-19 vaccination of the eligible population has been achieved in J&K.
She also rebutted the Opposition's charge that the BJP cannot absolve itself of the responsibility for the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990 as it was supporting the then V P Singh-led government at the Centre.
The minister said that terror killings were carried out in Kashmir when the National Conference was in power in J-K in alliance with the Congress and recalled the then governor Jagmohan's warning about dark clouds of terror overpowering the Valley.
She listed out "seven major events" or killings of Hindus by terrorists in 1989 along with the related FIR numbers.
During the discussion, the Congress party had targeted the BJP, saying it had supported the V P Singh-led government at the Centre in 1990 when Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave the Valley after they were targeted by terrorists.
"I just want to put the facts on record. The National Conference government with the support of the Indian National Congress was in power in J&K from November 1986 to January 18, 1990."
"And Governor Jagmohan reached J&K (on January 20, 1990) after the resignation of the then Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah. 20th January 1990 is when the Governor reaches Srinagar," the minister said.
"Whatever happened in 1990, we all know we listed out and we are all seeing it also."
"But what happened in 1989 when this (Farooq Abdullah) government was still in place, November 1986 onwards till 18 January 1990. I will take just the example of 1989 when that government of National Conference and Indian National Congress was still there, "Sitharaman said.
She listed out "seven major events" or killings of Hindus by terrorists in 1989 along with the related FIR numbers.
The Finance Minister also told the opposition that Governor Jagmohan (in his first tenure) in July 1989 had warned the then state government regarding the danger of terrorism.
"Is it not true that even Jagmohan Ji, in his first phase of being Governor when he was asked to leave in July 1989, didn't he warn authorities at that time itself that the dark cloud of terrorists are really overpowering J&K, and necessary steps have to be taken by the state government," the minister said.
While she was referring to the killings of 1989, certain opposition members asked her to focus her reply on the Budget.
To this Sitharaman said even the speeches of opposition members were focused on 'Kashmir File' (movie) and not on the Budget, therefore, she has every right to reply on all issues.
Sitharaman said, "It was our first PM Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru ji who internationalised the Kashmir issue. He took it to the United Nations in December 1947. Why? This issue shouldn't have gone to a global forum. It's an Indian issue. We could've handled it."
Alleging that there was a "mess" in the state earlier resulting in injustice to people, she said, "After the abrogation of Article 370, you see justice, democracy, economic development, rights reaching everybody".
She said that people are benefiting after the implementation of 890 central laws in the UT.
Also, people, who did not have any rights there earlier, can now get government jobs and purchase properties.
Besides, she added, 250 "unjust and discriminatory" state laws have been removed, and 137 modified.
She told the members that the de-weeding and dredging of Srinagar's famous Dal Lake will be taken up in the next financial year.
Sitharaman on Wednesday accused the country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru of internationalising the Kashmir issue by taking it to the United Nations and said India's neighbour was still misusing it.
The minister targeted the Congress on the issue while replying to a discussion on the Budget 2022-23 for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J-K) in Rajya Sabha.
"The Congress internationalised the issue. It was our first Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru ji who took it to the United Nations in December 1947. Why? "The issue was internationalised and our neighbour is still misusing it. Who is responsible for this," Sitharaman said.
The minister said the Kashmir issue should not have gone to a global forum.
''It is essentially an Indian issue. We could have handled it. We are handling it, and we are showing the difference now," she said, maintaining that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India.
Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma, however, sought to defend Nehru's actions.
"I would like to set the record straight. If the matter was taken to the UN Security Council, the issue was whether there would be a cessation of the military conflict or not. India did not accept the plebiscite,'' he said intervening in the minister's reply.
"The UN Observers' Office was never given that sanctity. India conducted elections. There were elected governments in the state of Jammu & Kashmir."
"'Not only that, we fought wars and we made it very clear repeatedly, and this has been India's consistent position, prior to 2014, that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of the sovereign State of India," Sharma added.
Sitharaman criticised the Congress for questioning the removal of Article 370 and quoted Prime Minister Nehru's reply in Parliament in 1963 that "Article 370 is part of a certain transitional provisional arrangement. It is not a permanent part of the Constitution''.
"For 70 years that transitional arrangement remained and when we removed it, you should have gone by what Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had said in 1963 and supported it," she told Congress members.
Stressing that from Jan Sangh days their manifestos have spoken about the abrogation of Article 370, Sitharaman said, "It was a promise given to the people of the country and we have fulfilled it."
The minister also rebutted the Opposition's charge that the BJP too shared the responsibility for the failure to check the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990 as it was supporting the then V P Singh-led government at the Centre.
She pointed out that terror killings were being carried out in Kashmir before 1990 when the National Conference was in power in J-K in alliance with the Congress and recalled the then governor Jagmohan's warning about dark clouds of terror overpowering the Valley.
She listed "seven major events" or killings of Hindus by terrorists in 1989 along with the related FIR numbers.
During the discussion, the Congress party had targeted the BJP, saying it was supporting the V P Singh-led government at the Centre in 1990 when Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave the Valley after they were targeted by terrorists.
"I just want to put the facts on record. The National Conference government with the support of the Indian National Congress was in power in J&K from November 1986 to January 18, 1990."
"And Governor Jagmohan reached J&K (on January 20, 1990) after the resignation of the then Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah. 20th January 1990 is when the Governor reaches Srinagar," the minister said.
"Whatever happened in 1990, we all know we listed out and we are all seeing it also."
"But what happened in 1989 when this (Farooq Abdullah) government was still in place, November 1986 onwards till 18 January 1990. I will take just the example of 1989 when that government of National Conference and Indian National Congress was still there, " Sitharaman said.
The Finance Minister also told the opposition that Governor Jagmohan (in his first tenure) in July 1989 had warned the then state government regarding the danger of terrorism.
"Is it not true that even Jagmohan Ji, in his first phase of being Governor when he was asked to leave in July 1989, didn't he warn authorities at that time itself that the dark cloud of terrorists are really overpowering J&K, and necessary steps have to be taken by the state government," the minister said.
While she was referring to the killings of 1989, certain opposition members asked her to focus her reply on the Budget.
To this, Sitharaman said even the speeches of opposition members were focused on Kashmir Files' (movie) and not on the Budget, therefore, she has every right to reply on all issues.
The minister also told the House that since the abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, terror activities have significantly declined, and development works are happening in the Union Territory.
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti alleged on Wednesday that the BJP is promoting "The Kashmir Files", a film on the plight of displaced Kashmiri Hindus, to incite people on religious lines and called for the setting up of a panel to probe the circumstances that led to the exodus of Pandits from the valley.
Her demand came a day after National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah also called for setting up a panel to investigate the killings and the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley.
Asking people to watch the film but not harbour hatred towards Muslims, Mufti said the circumstances that led to the 2020 Delhi riots and the communal violence in Gujarat in 2002 should also be probed.
"Of course, the government of India should take a decision in this regard (probing the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits)," she told reporters on the sidelines of her party's convention here.
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said the Centre should set up a "truth and reconciliation commission" to probe not only the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, but also the Gujarat and Delhi riots.
"I have not seen 'The Kashmir Files'. I have heard that the film shows a lot of violence and bloodshed and that it has painful scenes. What happened with the Kashmiri Pandits was horrible. We feel their pain. But you cannot hate every Kashmiri Muslim (for the exodus of Pandits)," she said.
The People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief recounted the massacres of Sikhs in Chittisinghpura, Hindus in Bajrala (Doda) and Kotdhara, and Muslims in Surankote and said, "Every community faced the worst oppression in Jammu and Kashmir. The people of Jammu and Kashmir were caught between the guns of Pakistan and India. The Kashmiri Pandits were also victims of it."
Maintaining that the makers of the "The Kashmir Files" have to make money, Mufti accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of promoting the film to incite people on religious lines.
"The prime minister and the BJP are promoting it by giving free tickets and making it tax-free. They are inciting people. They divide people on religious lines," she said.
Taking a dig at the saffron party for its "failure" to address the concerns of Kashmiri Pandits, Mufti said had it done anything for the Pandits in the last eight years, their situation could have improved.
"Whatever was done for them -- employment packages, rehabilitating them in flats after bringing them out of tents (refugee camps), transit accommodation facilities at Vessu, Sheikhpora, Mattan or Tulmulla -- all of it was done when Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was the chief minister during the rule of Atalji (former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee) in the country," she added.
(With PTI Inputs)