Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 13 : Kashmiri Hindus observed July 13 as Black Day and recalled the sacrifices of their community men who attained martyrdom on this day in 1931 after being attacked by marauders who had revolted against the then Maharaja of the State and were propagating secessionism and communalism in Valley.
Panun Kashmir (PK) as usual observed the day as Black Day and organised its Core Committee meeting at its head quarters here under the chairmanship of its president, Virender Raina. The meeting among others was attended by general secretaries of PK, Kamal Bhagati and Upinder Koul, secretary Daughters of Panun Kashmir, Vimla Chrungoo, convener P K Youth, Sameer Bhat , Ashok Chrungoo, Prof S K Bhatt, P K Bhan and Sameer Mattoo.
Paying tributes to those members of community who laid down their lives in 1931 attack of secessionist forces, Virender Raina PK president said the time has come to take a renewed pledge for the reclamation of the homeland for over seven lakh Kashmiri Pandits in Valley. He said the community will not rest till the goal is achieved.
Kashmiri Pandit Conference (KPC) also observed July 13 as Black Day as a mark of protest against the atrocities committed on the Kashmiri Pandit community in 1931 and afterwards. President KPC, Kundan Kashmiri while addressing the gathering of his organization at New Delhi said the wounds of arson and loot perpetuated on this day on the Hindu minorities in Kashmir marked the beginning of first organised genocide of Kashmiri Pandits. The scars of the loot and arson are still afresh in the minds of the community living in exile at present. He said the roots of present exile of Pandits and turmoil in Kashmir lie in this communal movement of 1931.
All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference (ASKPC) also observed the Day as Black Day to commemorate the persecution inflicted upon the Kashmiri Hindus of July 13 in 1931. A protest demonstration was staged in front of ASKPC Headquarters Durga Nagar by the activists of the organization.
Addressing the protestors R K Wangnoo president ASKPC said July 13 is the darkest day when the communal and anti national elements orchestrated a deep conspiracy in Kashmir against the Kashmiri Hindus and Maharaja of undivided J&K State. These anti national and communal elements murdered a number of Kashmir Hindus , looted and burnt down their properties , physically assaulted and intimated the community members. Veena Gurtu, Bharat Bushan Bhat Gosani, S K Raina, Sanjay Pandita ,Ravi Raina, Roshan Lal Koul, Ashk Dhar and Bushan Lal Bhan participated in the protest.
A group of Kashmiri Pandit social activists, thinkers and writers also observed the Day as Black Day today and recalled the sacrifices of community members who were martyred on this Day in 1931 by marauders instigated by Abdul Qadeer a cook of a British Officer.
The meeting was chaired by Ashok Kangan and it was attended by, Bushan Lal Bhat, H L Bhat , M L Bhat, Pran Nath Raina and others. They said that history has been distorted by those in the Government since 1947 in describing July 13 as Martyrs’ Day and terming the oppressor as oppressed.
Kashmiri Khatri Hindu Maha Sabha also observed the day as Black Day and paid rich tributes to the members of Hindu community who laid down their lives in fighting the anti social and communal elements on this day in 1931. President of the Sabha, Ramesh Chander Mahajan while paying tributes to those members of Hindu community who were killed by the communal mob said that their sacrifices will not go waste and they will be remembered till this universe exists.
July 13 was observed as Black Day by Kashmiri Pandits at Jagti under the chairmanship of Som Nath Gurtoo. The speakers including Dr Ramesh Bhat threw light on the atrocities committed on community ion this ill fated day in 1931 by the communal forces in Valley. He said the persecution of Pandits continued for last 700 years and community is struggling since then for its rights and this struggle will continue till the community is restored its homeland within Valley. He urged the Government of India to take drastic steps in rehabilitation of the displaced Pandits in Valley in accordance to its geo political aspirations. Vir Ji Belove, Badri Nath , Ramesh Koul, T K Raina and Kaka Ji Bhan were among others who addressed the gathering.
“1931 carnage in the Valley of Kashmir founded the communal procedence in the political system of Jammu and Kashmir after the accession of the State with the Union of India, and it was nurtured by the then almost all political parties active in J&K from 1947 to 1990. The ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits in 1989-90 was its direct outcome along with the forced mass exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits, the Indigenous people of Kashmir.”, said Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, senior BJP and KP leader, Incharge: Deptt of political affairs and Feedback, J&K-BJP.
Chrungoo was addressing a webinar today on the topic “1931 Communal carnage & political representation of Kashmiri Pandits in J&K Assembly & Parliament”. The webinar was organised by JKUT Webinar Group in connection with the Kashmiri Pandit Black Day and post Delimitation Commission’s J&K visit scenario. Among others, it was attended by Utpal Kaul, Vijay Bakaya former MLC, Virender Raina, B.L.Saraf, Former judge, Vijay Kashkari, Sanjay Raina, Yoginder Kaul, Rajkumar Goja and Arvind Shah. Prof. Ritu Bakshi, educationist, conducted the proceedings of the webinar.
Follow our WhatsApp channel