Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 1: Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea seeking high-level probe into genocide of Hindus and Sikhs in Jammu and Kashmir during the period between 1989 and 2003 and appropriate punishment to the perpetrators.
The plea will be heard by a Bench comprising Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai and Justice C T Ravikumar tomorrow.
The petition has been filed by Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) “We the Citizens”, which has sought high-level probe to identify the perpetrators involved in the genocide of Hindus and Sikhs in Jammu and Kashmir during 1989-2003 and exemplary punishment for the same.
The petitioner has also sought directions to conduct a census of Hindus and Sikhs, who have been victims or survivors of genocide in Jammu and Kashmir and are now residing in different parts of the country and also their rehabilitation. Before filing petition, the NGO has conducted extensive research by going through books, articles and memoirs of migrants from Kashmir.
The prominent books which the petitioner has examined include “My Frozen Turbulence in Kashmir” authored by the then Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Jagmohan and “Our moon has blood clots” by Rahul Pandita. These books give a first-hand account of ghastly genocide and exodus of Kashmiri Hindus and Sikhs in the year 1990.
As per the petitioner, the failure of the then Government and police administration and finally complete breakdown of Constitutional machinery has been explained in these books.
“The Government and State machinery failed to act to protect the life of Hindus and Sikhs and allowed anti-nationals, terrorists and anti-social elements to take control of the whole of Kashmir”, the petitioner has mentioned in the petition.
The petitioner is also seeking directions to declare that sale of properties post exodus in January 1990 whether religious, residential, agricultural, commercial, institutional, educational or any other immovable property should be declared as null and void.
It is pertinent to mention here that the debate about the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir valley gained momentum after the release of Bollywood movie—”The Kashmir Files” directed by Vivek Agnihotri. The film revolves around the forced exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from their native State after Pakistan-backed militants targeted the community in early 1990s.
Earlier, “Roots In Kashmir”, another NGO, had also filed petition in the Supreme Court seeking probe into 215 incidents of killing of Kashmir Pandits during 1989-90. However, the Apex Court had in the month of October 2017 rejected the petition on the ground that investigation cannot be ordered into the incidents which took place 27 years ago.
However, the NGO had challenged the order of the Supreme Court on the ground that Apex Court had issued directions for probe by Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the 1984 riots.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
