When Two Raos  Had Planned the Return of Kashmiri Pandits!

A 1996 Plan by Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao and Governor Gen K.V. Krishna Rao to Bring Back Exiled  Kashmiri Pandits Failed Due to Resistance from Within the Community.

(Kashmir Re’Chords Exclusive)

In the early months of 1996, India was on the verge of a bold initiative that could have reshaped the fate of thousands of exiled Kashmiri Pandits. Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao and the then Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, General K.V. Krishna Rao, were working on a meticulously devised plan aimed at facilitating the return of Kashmiri Pandit families, who had to flee  the Valley during the violent unrest of the 1990s. The plan was on the brink of being set in motion, with both leaders determined to see it through. However, a surprising and strong resistance from Kashmiri Pandit organizations themselves would eventually stall this historic move.

A Vision for Homecoming

Prime Minister Rao, known for his political astuteness and deep understanding of Kashmir’s complex socio-political landscape, was deeply committed to bringing the Kashmiri Pandits back to their homeland. Supported by General Krishna Rao, the then  Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, the plan aimed to restore normalcy in the region through the rehabilitation of those displaced by militancy. The blueprint was prepared over several months of discussions, between October 1995 and February 1996, with the intention of launching the initiative in April of that year.

At the heart of the plan was the establishment of a special Council dedicated to the rehabilitation of victims of militancy. This Council, chaired by the Governor with the Chief Secretary as its executive head, had been registered and equipped with an initial corpus of Rs 20 crore. It laid the groundwork for a phased return of Kashmiri Pandit families to selected, safer areas of the Valley.

Confidence Building and Social Dialogue

The return plan was not just logistical but also strategic in fostering a social dialogue between the migrants and the local communities in Kashmir. Visits to the migrant camps by prominent Valley personalities were envisaged to build trust and pave the way for reconciliation. A few zones in areas like Pulwama, Baramulla, Anantnag, Bandipora and Srinagar were identified as initial points of resettlement, where social interactions could help initiate a broader peace process.

Newspaper reports from March 1996 available with Kashmir Rechords  suggest that many Kashmiri Pandits had shown interest in the plan, raising hopes that a peaceful return was possible. According to the then Chief Secretary, Ashok Kumar, the groundwork was laid, and initial responses were encouraging.

Resistance from Within

However, despite the careful planning and the personal commitment of Prime Minister Rao and Governor Krishna Rao, the return plan faced an unexpected and vehement rejection from key Kashmiri Pandit organizations. On March 19, 1996, just as the plan was being formalized, major migrant groups unanimously opposed the initiative.

N.N. Kaul, president of the Kashmiri Samiti Delhi, led the charge against the plan, accusing the government of taking Kashmiri migrants for granted. Ramesh Razdan, general secretary of Panun Kashmir, dismissed the move as “vague and meaningless,” while A.N. Vaishnavi, president of the All-State Kashmiri Pandit Conference (ASKPC), issued a “clear cut directive” to all Pandit migrants, urging them to avoid contact with members of the Valley’s majority community.

A Missed Opportunity

As the resistance mounted and the 1996 general elections loomed, the window for implementing the plan rapidly closed. With the change of government in May 1996, P.V. Narasimha Rao’s tenure ended, and with it, the dream of facilitating the return of Kashmiri Pandits faded into the background. Though Rao had been passionate about the issue, the resistance from within the Pandit community itself had made it difficult to proceed.

Now, nearly three decades later, in 2024, the exiled Kashmiri Pandits remain scattered across the country, still awaiting a viable return plan. The opposition from various organizations persists, and the dream of reconciliation and return, envisioned by the two Raos, remains unfulfilled.

The efforts of Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao and Governor Gen K.V. Krishna Rao stand as a poignant reminder of a missed opportunity—one that could have possibly rewritten the history of Kashmir.

---