'Kashmir needs to be divided and we need the land of Panun Kashmir in Kashmir.'
The demand to formally recognise the 1990 exodus of Kashmiri Pandits as genocide has come to the fore once again, with the Panun Kashmir -- a movement that demands a homeland for the Kashmiri Pandits -- asserting that the community was systematically targeted and forcibly driven out of the Valley because of its religious identity.
Dr Ajay Chrungoo, chairman of Panun Kashmir, tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff that the violence was not limited to isolated killings but involved mass intimidation, destruction of homes and temples, and repeated massacres even after most Kashmiri Pandits had fled.
Dr Chrungoo lays out Panun Kashmir's demanding a separate homeland within Kashmir and questions claims that normalcy has returned to the region despite ongoing security concerns.
Why do you want the Kashmiri Pandits' exodus from Kashmir in the 1990s to be declared as a genocide?
It is genocide only. If you go by the definition of genocide it fulfills every criterion.
'Whole Kashmiri Pandit community was targeted'
In what way?
Any community or group in terms of its ethnicity or religion is targeted systemically on multiple levels which includes terrorism too and they suffer pertains to genocide of that community.
In the 1990s it was not against some individuals who were Kashmiri Pandits that were targeted but the whole Kashmir Pandit community that was targeted, and therefore it is genocide.
But those who oppose the demand say that even Kashmiri Muslims supporting India were targeted in the violence and they too lost their lives, therefore one cannot call the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits as a genocide?
Let me give you the example of Germany during the second world war by stating that it was not Jews alone who died in Germany but also other Germans who opposed Adolf Hitler's rule. Other communities too surely suffered under Hitler's rule but the violence that was targeted at Jews was because they were Jews.
In the same way, Kashmiri Pandits were targeted by terrorists because they were Kashmiri Pandits by birth. Patriotic Kashmiri Muslims too died for sure, but they were not targeted because they were Muslims.
Some 600 Kashmiri Pandit families never left Kashmir in the 1990s and they were never targeted by the terrorists. If it was genocide, why they were not targeted?
After the Partition of India some Hindus were left in Pakistan and so was the case in Bangladesh too. The same thing happened to Jews in Europe under Hitler's rule. They were present in Europe only when the Holocaust was going on.
Those Kashmiri Pandits who got stuck in Kashmir got stuck for some or the other reason or they just did not understand at that point of time what was going on around them.
'Society did not stop Kashmiri Pandits' killings'
Some of the Kashmiri Pandits trusted their Kashmiri Muslim friends and felt that they are safe till they are staying next to them. They thought they will be protected by them.
This logic does not work by stating that some Kashmiri Pandits still stayed back and therefore you cannot call it genocide.
By that logic some Kashmiri Pandits stayed in Kashmir after the 1990 exodus but then in 1997 at Sangrampora, Budgam, Kashmiri Pandits were lined up and massacred. In 1998, again at Wandhama, Kashmiri Pandits were massacred by terrorists.
Violence emanates from society and society did not stop their killings. 90 percent of Kashmiri Muslims told the Kashmiri Pandits that they will not be able to stop their killing if terrorists attacked them.
The killings of Kashmiri Pandits never stopped and hence it has to be declared as genocide.
'What threat did Kashmiri Pandits pose?'
In 2008, the Manmohan Singh government undertook a major rehabilitation package for Kashmiri Pandits and many of them are staying in Kashmir right now.
This was a non-transferable job and therefore they were called back to Kashmir.
I feel Kashmiri Muslims should have acknowledged that there was genocide of Kashmiri Pandits because they were staying amidst them and had to leave. The government too did not recognise it. Thousands of Kashmiri Pandits' home were burnt and looted.
I am not saying every Kashmiri Muslim was involved in it, but then there was a section of Kashmiri Muslims who did these acts of terror. Even today, they are very much part of Kashmiri society.
Kashmir's population was 96 percent Muslims and only four percent were Kashmiri Pandits who were too scattered all over Kashmir. What kind of threat were they to Kashmiri Muslims? They had a negligible population compared to Kashmiri Muslims.
But then Kashmiri Pandits were targeted because they were seen as Indian government supporters, isn't it?
If that is the case, then that was a problem for certain terrorist organisations and not to the Kashmiri Muslim society as a whole.
On January 19, 1990, there were 30 lakh (3 million) Kashmiri Muslims on the roads shouting slogans 'zaalimon, kafiron, bahar niklo, Kashmir hamara hai (infidels, tyrants quit Kashmir, it is ours)'.
Now suppose the government agrees to the term genocide for Kashmiri Pandits, then you have to accuse someone of committing this genocidal act. Who are the people responsible?
First, let everyone accept that Kashmiri Pandits did not migrate on their own will but were driven out in a genocidal manner from Kashmir. After that, you can find out who were responsible for it.
Are these forces still present in Kashmir? How to tackle these people and bring them to justice? When the inquiry is on, the onus is not on the victim alone but the one who is accused also has to defend and prove he didn't commit the genocide.
'15-day encounters their new tactic'
But you are raking up a past issue considering the fact that Kashmir society has moved on after Article 370 has been removed. Tourism is at its peak and even stone pelters have been tackled successfully. So why are you talking of genocide?
Stone pelters were not present in the 1990s. The BJP says stone pelting has stopped post abrogation of Article 370, but it means nothing.
If you go back to the history of terrorism in Kashmir you will find out that these terrorists come out with different tactics every time. Stone pelting was one of them. They keep changing tactics all the time.
Now you have 15-day encounters going on with the terrorists. This is their new tactic. And the Indian government wants you to believe that the situation in Kashmir has improved.
But tourism is at peak in Kashmir. Isn't it?
Tourism is not a yardstick to assess terrorism in Kashmir. At present explosive materials in Kashmir are being hauled which is more than in earlier times when terrorism was at its peak.
Are you talking about the Delhi blast in which some Kashmiri doctors were involved?
I am stating that before the 9/11 terror attack there was a huge drop in terror attacks. If that was the yardstick, then 9/11 would have never happened.
'There was no fight for azaadi in Kashmir'
We are just saying that there is a problem in the internal structure of Kashmiri society which is getting support from outside. And you cannot close your eyes when there is a problem in your internal society structure.
For example, the lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, dismissed around 200 Kashmiri government employees from various posts because of links to terrorism. I want to know how these people got recruited in government jobs. Who recruited them? What does the political class of Kashmir think about these people?
Every political party of Kashmir criticises the army and police force. No one tells that it is because of them they have democracy in Kashmir and they are getting elected. Go and check the statements of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on what he says about security forces.
If the Indian government declares there was genocide of Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir what will it achieve?
Firstly, by doing so we will accept that there was no fight for 'azaadi (freedom)' in Kashmir but the entire terrorism incidents took place to finish off the real 'azaadi' in Kashmir.
Secondly, we will be able to recognise which are the forces in Kashmir who want to finish off Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir. A process of introspection starts.
There are lots of Kashmiri Muslims who saved the lives of Kashmiri Pandits and they too must get recognition. These Kashmiri Muslims know that today the powerful Kashmiri Muslims are those who led Kashmiri Pandits to genocide.
These Kashmiri Muslims also know the real power even today is in the hands of those Kashmiri Muslims who ran the business of terrorism in the 1990s.
The politics that started in Kashmir since 1947 was communal politics because of which terrorism took roots in the state and Kashmiri Pandits were thrown out.
Therefore, we are saying Kashmir needs to be divided and we need the land of Panun Kashmir in Kashmir.
But do you have so many Kashmiri Pandits?
No, because they are scattered all over India. At present the place where I stayed is no longer a habitat place. It is not possible for me to go and stay at the same place. Our temples were broken, repaired, broken and again repaired. The Hindu habitat in which I lived in Kashmir does not exist today.
'What confidence are you giving Kashmiri Pandits?'
There were massacres of Hindus at the Shiv Khori cave at Katra, Dandri and Pahalgam. Therefore, we are saying call this as genocide.
Article 370 is scrapped and anyone can buy land in Kashmir. So, why can't Kashmiri Pandits go back and stay in Kashmir?
Even after Article 370 (abrogation) there was genocide in Kashmir.
Article 370 used to give recognition to a separate Muslim influence in Kashmir on the territory of India. And even then Kashmiri Pandits had to go through this ordeal because of people in power and the powers who supported it by sitting outside the power centre.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha says he dismissed so many government employees daily, but the question is, how did these people get government jobs in spite of their links to terrorist organisations?
Did anyone do an inquiry on that? How are you giving political recognition? By not taking action, what confidence are you giving to Kashmiri Pandits?
It is like a saying in the Kashmiri language, 'aap chor ko hi apney ghar ki chaabi do (give your home keys to the thief).' This is the politics going on in Kashmir.
How many Kashmiri Pandits are ready for a separate homeland in Kashmir?
There is a term called consolidation of genocide. It is a level of genocide where everyone says it is not an issue. The ones whom you are talking about are dead or the ones who are alive do not want to come back.
You forgot one important point in our interview that Kashmir is considered a political problem between India, Pakistan and the Kashmiri people.
No, this is not a political problem but a religious war expression. Kashmir has been a victim of jihad. Now you will say jihad is for peace, but I never saw any peaceful jihad. We always saw jihad to finish off others.
Some Muslims may say that the term jihad is used to finish off internal strife but then the same people I am upset with because they are quiet when other populations are being wiped out. This has happened right from Egypt to India.
How many Kashmiri Panidts are willing to go to a separate homeland for them?
I will counter by saying why so many Kashmiri Pandits are still staying in Jammu? They all want to go back to Kashmir.
Where do you want to declare the term genocide of Kashmiri Pandits?
In the Parliament of India, they must declare it.
'Kashmir has to be divided'
In 1948, India played a pioneering role in the convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide. After which it was the responsibility of each country to bring the same genocide convention in their own country but India never got their own law on genocide in its Constitution.
We have given a proposal to the Government of India on a genocide bill presentation and we told them to keep the UN genocide convention in mind and bring it in Parliament.
Kashmiri Pandits were eliminated systematically and the ones who did it said they are fighting for the freedom of Kashmir. What kind of freedom is this?
Therefore, we say Kashmir has to be divided.
Where is the land? In South Kashmir or North Kashmir?
When the Union government made Kashmir a part of a Union Territory, did they see any land and make this decision? We just want the government to declare that they will make a Hindu Kashmir for the Hindu population and declare it a Union Territory.
We will show the land to the Government of India. They must agree to build an alternative political system to reverse the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits.
Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been saying that they will finish Kashmir terrorism with tourism and in return you got the Pahalgam massacre.
'Kashmiri Pandits never took to the gun'
Unlike Kashmiri Muslims we Kashmiri Pandits never took to the gun and will never do so in future too against anyone. And you've got to solve the problem with a bitter medicine to solve the disease.
Kashmiri Muslim politicians have spoiled the moral and cultural framework of Kashmiri Muslim society. No one talks about this issue. I have got thousands of examples to prove.
Kashmiri Muslims today are not even aware that they are being used as pawns by the politicians and they do not benefit in any way from their moves.
© 2026