Ramesh Tamiri

Frankly speaking I do not evaluate the film on its technical merits or factuality shown in the film.

I look at the film from three angles:

1. Whether it generates enough sensitivity on cross-border terrorism with Kashmir as the frontline theatre. It does.

The sensitivity generated will make it difficult for any dispensation in Delhi to go for compromises with variants of separatist politics or subversion in Kashmir or for that matter with Pakistan.

2. Whether the film characterises rightly the ideological dimension of cross-border tertorism – Jihadist. It does. That is important because it helps the state and the nation recognise genocide of non- Muslims in Kashmir and Muslim dominated regions of Jammu province.
3. Whether the film creates enough sensitivity on genocide of Kashmiri Hindus. It does.

This is important because solution to end of our genocide lies in this recognition.

Even BJP still continues to deny our genocide so far as policy implementation is concerned.

This film will make it difficult for any section of society or political class or even the state to deny our genocide.

This is the real contribution of Kashmir Files.

Postscript:

Need for right characterisation of Kashmir:

Right characterisation conveys essence of politics and happenings and also help Government evolve right solutions –

I never call jihadist movement in Kashmir as secessionist movement. I call it cross-border terrorism.

All so-called secessionist campaigns in Kashmir – 1949,1962, 1965, and Al Fatah of 1967 was in essence cross-border terrorism.

Communalism and internal subversion sustained cross-border terrorism.

Unless Government’s Kashmir policy incorporates solutions that deal with Communalism and internal subversion, peace and restoration of pluralism will remain a distant dream.

Government abandoned Kashmiri Hindus to their fate:

Between March 1986 to September 1989 the number of attacks on Pandits should have alerted the Government to two things:

1. Attacks are part of ethnic cleansing.
2. There is need to formulate a plan that can take care of security of Kashmiri Hindus in case of any eventuality.

The incidents were:

1. Attacks on Pandits in many villages of Ananatnag in 1986.
2. Abduction of a 25 years old youth. The person who belonged to Habbakadal left for his office in the morning. He went missing.
3. A person from north Kashmir had come to Srinagar to distribute cards of his marriage. He returned to Batmaloo bus stand and was never seen again.
4. There was an attempt at abduction of a married woman at Pulwama bus stand. She had to go to Shopian. This was foiled by a person.The woman was then sheltered by a Pandit family in a nearby village.
5. A youth who was my classfellow was stabbed to death at Sathu Barbarshah.
6. The head Priest of historic Vicharnag temple was shot dead by the policeman whom the Government had kept for his security. The cop was infuriated on seeing the priest doing Puja.

I am quoting only those incidents about which I have close knowledge. In fact, the incident of abduction attempt of woman was related by me to the editor of Martand. It was subsequently covered in an editorial.

Why did Government fail?

If you get the answer to this question, you will never ask again whether extirpation of Kashmiri Hindus was exodus or ethnic cleansing – genocide.

Newspapers and films tell only half the story and suppress the rest.

Congress was in power. It abandoned Kashmiri Hindus in 1986 itself.

Post – 1990, Congress ensured that denial of genocide continues.Home Minister SB Chavan’s address at Muthi refugee camp is just one of the evidences. He absolved terrorists. There was violent protest over his remarks. Soon the protests spread to other refugee camps. Governor Garry Saxena and Minister Rajesh Pilot visited camps to pacify Pandits. If the (then) Union Home Minister absolves Pakistan then what do you expect from that Goverment.

Congress is inconvenient at the screening of Kashmir Files.

What really is politics behind moving a bill on Kashmiri Hindus by one of its members today we will soon come to know.

Let us be on guard to save our rights.

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Ramesh Tamiri is an expert on Kashmir affairs