FairPoint: Murshidabad Violence Echoes 1990 Kashmiri Hindu Exodus

New Delhi, April 20 (NationPress) It’s unfolding again right before our eyes. The only distinction is that my experience is 35 years old, and this individual’s is merely a few days old,” stated Rajni Dhar, a Kashmiri Hindu, upon viewing footage of the distressed woman from Murshidabad.

She expresses that her community's narrative mirrors what is currently transpiring with Hindus in certain regions of West Bengal. Targeted violence, a nonchalant administration, indifferent police, and uncaring politicians - this is what she and her community faced during the late 1980s and 1990s, which ultimately resulted in the exodus of over 700,000 Hindus from Kashmir.

Fast-forward thirty-five years, and more than 2000 km away from Kashmir, hundreds of Hindu families have fled Murshidabad and surrounding areas in West Bengal, where violent mobs attacked them. The violence unexpectedly erupted during protests against the Waqf Act.

The Hindus of Murshidabad faced a terrifying ordeal. Mobs rampaged, assaulting homes, looting possessions, and setting fire to vehicles and buildings, including government properties. The crowds were frenzied, uncontrollable, and unchallenged.

The testimonies from these forcibly displaced individuals are harrowing. Homes and businesses -- some located mere metres from police stations -- were set ablaze. SOS calls to the police and fire brigade reportedly went unanswered. Victims claim they were left to fend for themselves, at the mercy of the mobs. All they could do was escape. Men, women, children, and the elderly fled for miles, crossing rivers to seek safety.

For them, April 11 will remain permanently etched in their memories -- the day the state abandoned them. Even more agonizing, they assert, is the indifference of those in power. The Chief Minister had no words for them, not even the time to meet them. However, she did make time for those whose speeches allegedly incited the unrest, meeting them in Kolkata to express solidarity, but offering nothing for the Hindus who lost their homes, livelihoods, and faith in the system.

Back in the late 1980s, as terrorism began to rise in Kashmir, Hindus were targeted as part of a broader agenda -- to transform Kashmir into a Muslim-majority region that could accede to Pakistan. Leading the charge was Farooq Abdullah, president of the National Conference and father of current leader Omar Abdullah. He remained passive as Hindus faced escalating violence: kidnappings, torture, threats, and harassment. Kashmiri Pandits were presented with three options: convert, flee, or die. The chilling slogan was: "An Islamic Kashmir with Kashmiri Pandit women, without the KP men.”

Those in power then -- both at the state and central levels -- remained silent and did nothing. Hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits lost their lives, women were gang-raped and murdered, homes were looted, and temples were desecrated. Victims allege that the police were uncooperative, and in some cases even aided the terrorists. The political class and human rights organizations went mute. The only option for the Hindus was to flee.

Being merely 2% of Jammu and Kashmir's population, Kashmiri Pandits were forsaken by the then-state government. The gravest atrocities occurred during Farooq Abdullah's tenure. When he resigned in January 1990, he left behind a Kashmir where the police force was compromised, the intelligence network shattered, and the majority of the administration gone rogue.

The situation in West Bengal may not be as severe, but it could escalate if immediate actions are not taken. Many victims in relief camps reported being warned by attackers: "This was just a trailer... the real movie begins soon." What does this foretell?

Two Hindus -- a father and son -- were brutally murdered to instill fear. Their businesses were set ablaze. Rumors of poisoned water tanks in Hindu villages were circulated to incite panic and trigger an exodus. It succeeded, and people left their homes in terror.

Will the displaced Hindus of Murshidabad ever return to their homes? It’s a troubling question, as the Bengal CM has done little to persuade the Muslim political and religious leaders, with whom she had a significant meeting on April 16 to work for peace in these areas.

Instead, CM Mamata labeled the violence a conspiracy, implicating the BSF (Border Security Force) and accusing it of permitting Bangladeshi miscreants to enter and incite unrest. While shocking, this accusation may further empower disruptive elements and diminish the morale of the security forces.

"Thirty-five years have passed, and we are still deprived of our homeland," says a tearful Dhar, reminiscing how her family was forced out of Srinagar in April 1990.

"People there exhibit no remorse -- it was all about religious dominance. We lost our homes, jobs, property... and we’ve received no justice,” she lamented.

The cries of the women from Murshidabad continue as they gaze at their uncertain futures, having lost everything in the attacks.

(Deepika Bhan can be reached at deepika.b@ians.in)

dpb/svn