Decades after the mass exodus of 1990, a growing number of Kashmiri Pandits who have returned to the Kashmir Valley say they are witnessing tangible shifts on the ground — and see the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 as the foundation for what they describe as 'unprecedented changes' in their homeland. While full-scale rehabilitation of displaced families remains a distant goal, the mood among those who have come back is cautiously optimistic.

A Community Divided Between Two Homes

For many Kashmiri Pandits, the trauma of displacement has been a defining feature of their identity for over three decades. One community member, whose family fled Kashmir in 1990 and spent years in Jammu, described the emotional weight of that separation. 'We migrated from here in the 1990s and settled in Jammu, but even while living there, our hearts always remained with our home in Kashmir,' he said. 'After the abrogation of Article 370, we got an opportunity to return. The situation is no longer what it used to be, and with the new government, I believe there has been a significant positive change.'

He added: 'We are happy with the changes we have seen. The situation today is not what it was in the past, and we feel there is now a sense of hope.'

Signs of Normalcy: Business, Employment, Temples

Local residents in the region are pointing to concrete examples of returning confidence. In Handwara, a Kashmiri Pandit family recently opened a business outlet — a development locals describe as a symbol of growing normalcy and trust. In Kupwara, community members have reportedly taken up positions as teachers, engineers, and clerks in government offices, and visited local temples in notably larger numbers this year.

'Members of the Kashmiri Pandit community have not only returned to Kupwara but are also working here as teachers, engineers and clerks. This year, many visited their temples in large numbers. We want more of them to return,' said one local resident. 'Whenever we see them in government offices, it makes us happy.'

Local Residents Recall a Lost Brotherhood

Among the most striking voices in this account are those of local Muslim residents who say they never witnessed the pre-1990 era of inter-community harmony firsthand — but have grown up hearing about it. 'We did not witness those times ourselves, but we have heard from our elders about the atmosphere of brotherhood that once existed here, and we truly miss it,' said one resident.

Another resident made a direct appeal to the diaspora: 'This is your home, your roots, your heritage. Everything that belongs to you is here. We request all Kashmiri Pandits to come back and be a part of Kashmir's future.'

Rehabilitation: Hope Tempered by Reality

Despite the optimism, the broader rehabilitation of the estimated 1–4 lakh Kashmiri Pandits who fled the Valley remains, by most accounts, a work in progress. Housing, security guarantees, and livelihood support continue to be cited as barriers by community organisations. The Prime Minister's Rehabilitation Package for Kashmiri migrants, which offers government jobs in the Valley, has seen limited uptake amid persistent security concerns. Notably, a series of targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandit employees in 2022 had triggered protests and demands for relocation, underlining the gap between political intent and ground reality.

How quickly that gap closes will determine whether the current wave of cautious optimism translates into a durable return movement.