( Kashmir Rechords Exclusive)

As the people of Jammu and Kashmir continue to express faith in the democratic and developmental potential of India and when suddenly local politicians of Kashmir are extending goodwill messages for the return of displaced Kashmiri Pandits, it’s imperative to revisit the false narratives surrounding the late Governor Jagmohan, who was wrongly blamed for the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley. These fake and false narratives are being  pedaled since 1990 against Jagmohan, holding him responsible for the unfortunate exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from valley. It was mainly used as a cover both by Pakistani movers and shakers of Kashmir militancy and equally by the mainstream politicians along with a large component of Kashmir’s intelligentsia. All this was done to orchestrate a shield to save them from the guilt trip that they felt would likely see them in their faces either due to their inability to call a spade a spade at that point in time or due to their own culpability at times.

Despite efforts by Governor Jagmohan to dispel these accusations, vested interests perpetuated these falsehoods, shielding themselves from accountability. However, history holds the key to rectifying these misconceptions, as evidenced by the recent Supreme Court judgment on Article 370, which calls for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to be set up for moving forward. The same should of course also incorporate the role of the then Governor Jagmohan to set the record straight.

 Jagmohan’s Appeal that Got Lost

   Records available with Kashmir Rechords provide ample evidence of Governor Jagmohan’s attempts to dissuade Kashmiri Pandits from leaving the valley. In a public appeal, he urged them to stay, offering to set up temporary camps and allocate land for their resettlement in Srinagar.  The prominent newspapers of the then J&K State including Kashmir Times and Daily Excelsior had prominently given space on their front pages to Jagmohan’s appeal  to Pandits not to leave Kashmir .

   Despite his efforts, the Pandit community, plagued by fear and uncertainty, chose to leave. In an appeal through official channels and the mainstream media as well carried on March 8^th, 1990, Jagmohan goes on record to urge Kashmiri Pandits not to leave the valley even temporarily as he offered to set up camps even for those who will return from Jammu. The late Governor had chalked all the plans for their stay in Kashmir valley itself but the message got lost on Pandits due to the extreme state of fear psychosis they were in. Governor Jagmohan had even ventured to announce giving plots for Kashmiri Pandit families at Srinagar and orders to Srinagar Development Authority to identify the land in Srinagar were in the offing.

Reconciliation… The Way To Move Forward

The Pandit community was however so shaken that they had lost the confidence, so much so that they did not believe even the late Jagmohan, considered to tolerate no nonsense in the implementation of his decisions. Today, as Kashmiri Pandits seek to return, they face resistance from various quarters. While politicians offer lip service and the civil society remains indifferent and continues to parrot the same false narrative, it therefore becomes crucial to acknowledge that Governor Jagmohan wasn’t responsible for their exodus; rather, it was a tragic consequence of circumstances beyond his control. The misery of the Pandits is continuing and their genuine desire to revisit the valley is met with all the resistance by the forces inimical to their return.

  Only by confronting the truth can we pave the way for genuine reconciliation and the eventual return of peace to the valley including return of Kashmiri Pandits.