Kashmiri Pandit voices reach the US Congress
FACT exhibit on display in the Rayburn Congressional Building Foyer. An exhibition on Kashmir and the plight of Kashmiri Hindus was on display in the Rayburn Congressional Building Foyer in the nation’s capital on July 11th and 12th, 2005.
The exhibition depicts the effects of terrorism on the Hindus of Kashmir, known as the ‘Pandits’, who underwent a near genocide in 1990 due to violence from international terrorism.
The exhibition received bipartisan support from Congressional leaders and was attended by concerned citizens and leaders of various communities and organizations. This was the first opportunity for most Americans to see an exhibition on the plight of Kashmiri Hindus.
Representatives Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Joe Wilson (R-SC), and Jim McDermott (D-WA) each addressed the audience after viewing the exhibit in detail. Ambassador R. S. Jassal, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India, was also present.
Francois Gautier emphasized that Western journalists and human rights groups have long neglected the atrocities and injustices on Kashmiri Hindus by Islamic terror groups. "In the year 1900, there were one million Kashmiri Hindus, and today there are hardly few hundreds left in the valley, and about 400,000 of them are living as refugees in their own country," Francois remarked.
Yossef Bodansky, Director of Research at the International Strategic Studies Association and senior editor for the Defense and Foreign Affairs group of publications, followed as speaker. He had raised concerns as early as 1993 about the threat of global Islamic terrorist groups to the world community, based upon his research of the decades-old Kashmiri issue. He stated that as long as the ISI (Inter Services Intelligence, the Pakistani intelligence agency) maintains an active terrorist program to support Taliban and Kashmiri jihadis, there is no possibility of the Kashmir issue being resolved peacefully in the near future. Furthermore, he pointed out that there is already too much invested by pan-Islamic terrorists to simply abandon their jihad at this time.
Representative Pallone stated that the FACT exhibit was the first of its kind to visually depict the terrorism in Kashmir. He expressed concern about the lack of visible efforts to safely return the displaced Kashmiri Hindus to their homeland, although that remains the paramount concern of this group of people. He pledged to speak to the Prime Minister of India during his visit next week about this issue.
Representative Joe Wilson pointed to the absolute lack of respect for human rights on the part of terrorist groups. He said "The United States and India, which are the world's oldest and the largest democracies, respectively, have already started working together to promote understanding and growth in the field of commerce, defense, and also on the war on terrorism." He lauded the efforts of the Indian American community in the U.S.
Representative Joseph Crowley emphasized to the audience that we must ensure Kashmir remains a part of India. Commenting on the India-Pakistan relationship, he mentioned that Pakistan is trying to avenge the loss it suffered in Bangladesh by promoting terrorism in Kashmir.
Representative Jim McDermott described the beauty of Kashmir and remarked "what it was once!" Agreeing that the events of September 11, 2001 have changed many things, he praised the organizers for raising awareness about terrorism and its effects on Kashmiri Hindus.
Dr. Vijay Sazawal, President of Indo-American Kashmiri Forum (IAKF), appropriately asked "Have we learned anything yet?" after pointing to the works of Charles Krauthammer, the late Mary McGrory, and the bi-partisan efforts of Representatives Rob Andrews and Bill McCollum in the early 1990s to raise awareness about the same issue in the U.S. “This was well before September 11, 2001, and well before everyone actually believed that there was a jihad underway in Kashmir.” He further said, "In the words of Ms. McGrory: In Kashmir, an earthly paradise, blameless people are suffering hellish persecution not for anything they did but for being who they are. The Kashmiri Pandits, the Hindu minority that has lived in Kashmir for 5,000 years, would like to go home."
The exhibition depicts the effects of terrorism on the Hindus of Kashmir, known as the ‘Pandits’, who underwent a near genocide in 1990 due to violence from international terrorism.
The exhibition received bipartisan support from Congressional leaders and was attended by concerned citizens and leaders of various communities and organizations. This was the first opportunity for most Americans to see an exhibition on the plight of Kashmiri Hindus.
Representatives Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Joe Wilson (R-SC), and Jim McDermott (D-WA) each addressed the audience after viewing the exhibit in detail. Ambassador R. S. Jassal, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India, was also present.
Francois Gautier emphasized that Western journalists and human rights groups have long neglected the atrocities and injustices on Kashmiri Hindus by Islamic terror groups. "In the year 1900, there were one million Kashmiri Hindus, and today there are hardly few hundreds left in the valley, and about 400,000 of them are living as refugees in their own country," Francois remarked.
Yossef Bodansky, Director of Research at the International Strategic Studies Association and senior editor for the Defense and Foreign Affairs group of publications, followed as speaker. He had raised concerns as early as 1993 about the threat of global Islamic terrorist groups to the world community, based upon his research of the decades-old Kashmiri issue. He stated that as long as the ISI (Inter Services Intelligence, the Pakistani intelligence agency) maintains an active terrorist program to support Taliban and Kashmiri jihadis, there is no possibility of the Kashmir issue being resolved peacefully in the near future. Furthermore, he pointed out that there is already too much invested by pan-Islamic terrorists to simply abandon their jihad at this time.
Representative Pallone stated that the FACT exhibit was the first of its kind to visually depict the terrorism in Kashmir. He expressed concern about the lack of visible efforts to safely return the displaced Kashmiri Hindus to their homeland, although that remains the paramount concern of this group of people. He pledged to speak to the Prime Minister of India during his visit next week about this issue.
Representative Joe Wilson pointed to the absolute lack of respect for human rights on the part of terrorist groups. He said "The United States and India, which are the world's oldest and the largest democracies, respectively, have already started working together to promote understanding and growth in the field of commerce, defense, and also on the war on terrorism." He lauded the efforts of the Indian American community in the U.S.
Representative Joseph Crowley emphasized to the audience that we must ensure Kashmir remains a part of India. Commenting on the India-Pakistan relationship, he mentioned that Pakistan is trying to avenge the loss it suffered in Bangladesh by promoting terrorism in Kashmir.
Representative Jim McDermott described the beauty of Kashmir and remarked "what it was once!" Agreeing that the events of September 11, 2001 have changed many things, he praised the organizers for raising awareness about terrorism and its effects on Kashmiri Hindus.
Dr. Vijay Sazawal, President of Indo-American Kashmiri Forum (IAKF), appropriately asked "Have we learned anything yet?" after pointing to the works of Charles Krauthammer, the late Mary McGrory, and the bi-partisan efforts of Representatives Rob Andrews and Bill McCollum in the early 1990s to raise awareness about the same issue in the U.S. “This was well before September 11, 2001, and well before everyone actually believed that there was a jihad underway in Kashmir.” He further said, "In the words of Ms. McGrory: In Kashmir, an earthly paradise, blameless people are suffering hellish persecution not for anything they did but for being who they are. The Kashmiri Pandits, the Hindu minority that has lived in Kashmir for 5,000 years, would like to go home."
Sri Sri inaugurates Kashmiri Pandit exhibition
H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar inaugurating the exhibition.Need for all Kashmiri to raise their voice: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Press Trust of India, 7th March, 2005
Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar today said that there was a need for all Kashmiri pandits to raise their voice to make fellow countrymen aware of their problems and help them in their fight.
Speaking at a seminar `Refugees in their own country Pain and agony of the Kashmiri Pandits' organised by Kashmiri Samiti Delhi and FACT (Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism) here, he said the community has been supressed a lot and hence it needs to rise and become pro-active.
"Kashmiris need to show their problems to the world and only then world will be sensitive to their problems," Ravi Shankar said adding, Kashmiri pandits should be given their land back.
Film maker a Kashmiri pandit Ashok Pandit said despite being faithful citizens of India Kashmiri pandits had to stay as refugees in the country.
"Political parties, parliament and even the human right activists are quiet on the problems faced by Kashmiri pandits," he said adding, the Kashmiri pandits want to return to our land and no one can stop them from returning.
Film director Mahesh Bhatt said the apathy and indifference shown towards Kashmiri pandits by us all really shows the insensitive attitude we have developed.
Bhatt further said there was no point in blaming the leaders as they were an extension of the people and enough has been done to the Kashmiri pandits.
"We all need to feel outraged and need to rise," he said. Kashmiri Samiti, Delhi, president Sunil Shakdher, said Kashmiri Pandits are residing as refugees not just in the country but all over the world.
"All records of Kashmiri pandits in Jammu and Kashmir have been burned and destroyed and no Hindu civilisation is left in the valley," he said.
"Kashmiri pandits have no future as they have no jobs and the problems were likely to increase but in all situations we want our land back and we want to return," Shakdher said.
French journalist François Gautier said Kashmiri Pandits were a beautiful community who have never protested and efforts were on to get international agencies to look into their problems. Noted film actor Anupam Kher was also present in the event.
Earlier, a photography exhibition on Kashmiri pandits was inaugurated ,later bhajans were rendered by noted playback singer Neerja Pandit and a 10 year old Kashmiri boy Raj Pandit and Ashok Pandit's award winning documentary "And the world remained Silent" on the exodus of Kashmiri pandits was filmed.
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