January 19, 1990, a dark freezing night that never ended…for half a million native Hindus who were forced to leave the Kashmir valley. As loudspeakers in mosques across the valley blared slogans declaring allegiance to the Islamic State of Pakistan, the message to the Hindus was loud and clear: Convert, Leave or Die. Kashmiri Hindus were scattered across India and the globe losing their home for millennia to Jihadi intolerance. And the world remained silent. The Indian State remained indifferent. The United Nations remained passive. The media looked the other way. The cultural and physical genocide of Kashmiri Hindus is a brutal reality check. Remember, Kashmir is not a political problem. It is a centuries-old civilizational battle. January 19 triggered the seventh and final exodus of Hindus from the valley. A dark, freezing night that never ended. Can the rest of India keep the darkness at bay and take a stand for Kashmiri Hindus? If yes, put pressure on the government for the Resettlement of Kashmiri Hindus Act.
Resettlement of Kashmiri Hindus Act
- Make the denial of atrocities against Kashmiri Hindus a punishable offence.
- Grant compensation to the Hindus for the loss of life and property caused to them due to government inaction in 1990.
- Set up special courts & Ministry of KP rehabilitation to facilitate the resettlement.
- Grant Hindus the right to bear arms in the Union Territory and provide training for the same.
- Treat complaints by Hindus of atrocities committed against them as cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable offences.
- Impose enhanced fines for government officials who commit atrocities against Hindus (as they often did in the past)
- Constitute a temple restoration department that rebuilds destroyed and damaged Hindu shrines.
- Identify areas of potential atrocities against Hindus based on historical data and disarm the Muslim population in those areas.
- Establish a continuous monitoring system for crimes against Hindus along with a monthly reporting mechanism at district level.
- Include provisions for imposing collective fines and attaching the property of those found guilty of committing atrocities against the Hindu minority; like they do in the case of riots.
