Renu Bhatia’s Kashmiri Roots Echo in Campus Controversy

(Kashmir Rechords Report)

From fleeing militancy in Srinagar to triggering a national debate on free speech, the Haryana Women’s Commission chief draws strength—and scrutiny—from her past.— That is Kashmir.

Renu Bhatia, the Chairperson of the Haryana State Commission for Women, is at the centre of a storm following the arrest of Ashoka University Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad—an action she initiated over his social media remarks related to the recent military operation Operation Sindoor. But behind this flashpoint is considered a deeper, more personal history: one that begins in Kashmir, where Bhatia was born and raised until conflict tore her world apart.

“My house was near Dal Gate in Srinagar,” she recalls. “We were among those families who lost everything in 1947, again in 1948, and finally had to flee in the 1990s.”

Born into a Punjabi-Kashmiri Hindu family, Renu Bhatia was a student at Presentation Convent in Srinagar before her family migrated to Dehradun in 1990 amid the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits. The memories of fear, flight and survival have never left her—and some say they now shape her sense of duty and justice.

Earlier this month, Renu Bhatia filed a formal complaint against Prof. Mahmudabad, accusing him of “derogatory remarks against women officers” in the Indian Army and of “promoting communal disharmony”. The charges, under which he was arrested on May 19,2025, include sections related to public mischief and endangering national unity. The post in question, related to Operation Sindoor—a cross-border military action—has sparked a polarising national debate about free speech, academic freedom and political overreach.

But Renu Bhatia defends her actions staunchly. “I was doing my job. No one will be allowed to insult women, especially those serving the nation,” she said. When asked by mediapersons whether her own history with Kashmir had any influence on her response, Bhatia replied, “Of course Kashmir touches me. It is where I come from. But I acted purely as Chairperson of the Women’s Commission.”

Yet it is precisely that blend of personal memory and political authority that has made her a lightning rod. Critics accuse her of politicising the issue but her supporters argue that she has always been standing up for national honour and women’s dignity—values deeply rooted in her own past.

^{I am from Those Families who were killed, murderd during 1947–1948…}

From Doordarshan to the BJP

Renu Bhatia’s journey from a displaced Kashmiri girl to a key political figure is not without precedent. In 1992, she began her career as a Doordarshan anchor, and in 2000, entered politics as a BJP councillor in Faridabad, eventually becoming Deputy Mayor. She has served as Women’s Commission chair since 2022 and is known for taking bold positions on gender-related cases, including a major harassment probe in Haryana’s Jind district.

“Bhajpa ki Benazir”

Dubbed “Bhajpa ki Benazir” for her 2008 portrayal of Benazir Bhutto in a short film, Bhatia says her political role model is the late Sushma Swaraj, who affectionately gave her the nickname.

Her actions, both praised and pilloried, cannot be separated from her Kashmiri identity, forged in loss and resilience. “If something happens in Kashmir, it touches me,” she says. And for better or worse, that touch now reverberates across the country.

Kashmir Rechords

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K K Khosa says:

22 May, 2025 at 4:28 am

Anything untoward happening in Kashmir definitely touches the heart of all those who lost the land of their forefathers in 1990. we yearn for return and rehabilitation. People like Mahmudabad keep the pot boiling making it difficult for us to resettle back in the valley. Of course there are other fallouts that are detrimental
to national interests.