Oracle of better times for Kashmiri Hindus living outside Valley – a religious procession makes the beginning

By Arun Joshi It was nothing short of an oracle in Kashmir on Monday when Kashmiri Pandits took out. A singularly important religious procession through the streets of Srinagar that meandered its way among other places through the history-making Lal Chowk in heart of the city, something that was unthinkable on this scale few years ago. This religious procession marking the festival of Janmashtami, the birth of Lord Krishna, revered as the Lord who taught practicality over the falsehood of the world, victory of truth over deceptions, in Srinagar had  political and social message. Politically, it established that the miniscule minority of Kashmiri Pandits, the community which can be counted in hundreds in the Valley, could exercise its right to religious freedom without any fear. This is the joy that the community had been missing for years, especially since the start of militancy in Kashmir in late 1989. The rest of the community members, estimated to be as large as 3.5 lakh, are scattered all over the country and also in several parts of the country, for they had to flee the Valley in the darkness of nights to escape the persecution by the armed militants. The Kashmiri Pandits were threatened and there were numerous selective killings to force their migration from their motherland. The Kashmiri Pandit migrants, as they are known elsewhere, have not been able to return to their homes despite several schemes to get them back to their land and orchards. {"align":"center","id":133456,"sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"none"} The  Janmashtami procession in the heart of Srinagar city, in particular historic Lal Chowk, offered a clear-eyed view of the changed situation in Kashmir. The religious freedom of Kashmiri Pandits is as absolute, it has been proven, as that of the other communities. The forces of hostility toward them have subsided because of the intense security operations against the armed militants. The security forces have killed more than 100 militants, including some of the top commanders of the groups like  Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and The Resistance Front. One of them Saifullah alias  Lamboo was among the masterminds of the Pulwama terror attack of February 14, 2019. Security situation in Kashmir is key to the normal life in which the freedom of expression finds its way on the streets, temples and other places of worship. Viewed against this backdrop the Janmashtami procession that passed through Lal Chowk, within days of the high-pitched celebrations of Independence -Day on August 15, has turned the corner as far as the demonstration of freedom of movement is concerned. The procession of this sort is a beginning if the current situation continues to erase the elements of fear and terror from the environment. {"align":"center","id":133459,"width":548,"height":362,"sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"none"} What has changed is not only the security situation but also the mindset, where the people feel free to assert themselves, move with their heads held high. Monday’s procession has sent a message to the community members, settled elsewhere is the country, that new hope is beckoning them to their homes in the Valley. The community members,  most of whom are living in migrant colonies, mostly in Jammu, the winter capital of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir,  could see that the dream of their return to the Valley may be fulfilled after all. Dancing at Lal Chowk was extraordinary. If it was a unique experience for the community in generations, it also had  dream- fulfilling prophecy for the Kashmiri Pandits living outside of the Valley, but, a note of caution should guide them that the permanency of this improvement in situation is yet to be tested. It is a beginning of a new march, but not the end in itself. About the Author: Arun Joshi is a senior journalist based in J&K. He has worked with Hindustan Times, Times of India, Indian Express, and The Tribune. He has authored “ Eyewitness Kashmir: Teetering on Nuclear War” and three other books. DISCLAIMER This is the personal opinion of the author. The views expressed in this write up have nothing to do with it.