‘Tomorrow It Could Be My Own Family’: A Kashmiri Pandit’s Message for PM Modi

Deepika Koul, a Kashmiri pandit, took to social media urging the Centre to take action against the recent killings.

Deepika Koul.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Video Producer/Editor: Shohini Bose

After a spate of targeted killings in Kashmir, Deepika Koul, a Kashmiri Pandit, took to social media on Friday, 3 June, urging the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take action against the killings.

In an Instagram video, Koul says, "My name is Deepika Koul and I am very mentally unstable about the recent killings in Kashmir. If we had social media during the genocide in the 1990s in Kashmir, then maybe we could have informed the Indian government of the atrocities. Perhaps the things that happened to us and our homes would not have happened. Maybe we could have been saved and still living in our homes."

She said that there have been three killings in two weeks in the Valley and accused the government of not taking any action regarding the killings of Kashmiri Pandits.

'Immediate and Urgent Matter': Koul

She added, "But sir, we have everything in place today – we have lots of modern ways to solve a lot of problems- any sort of problems. Right? We gave social media, news channels, and everything in place. Sir I don’t understand why this is taking time. This is the third killing in two weeks and tomorrow it could be someone from my own family… this is an immediate and an urgent matter."

Koul said that the culture of Kashmiri Pandits is being erased from India completely.

She said,

"Our culture and people are being erased from Kashmir. We are losing hope. The Kashmiri youth in J&K, people in J&K are losing hope. We are waiting for a genuine response from the government. I request you to please look into this matter right away."

She also encouraged the people of Jammu & Kashmir to speak out their minds on social media and let the government know how unstable this community is right now. She urged PM Modi to take immediate action against the killings of Hindus in the Valley.

Protests in Kashmir

Hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits, including government employees and members of the Dogra Front in Jammu and Awami Awaaz, stepped out in Srinagar on Thursday, 2 June, to protest against the spate of targeted killings of Hindus and threatened to migrate to Jammu region.

At least eight instances of targeted killings were reported across the region in the last few weeks.

Targeted Killings

On 18 May, terrorists had entered into a wine shop at Baramulla in North Kashmir and threw a grenade, killing one person hailing from Jammu region and injuring three others.

On 24 May, a police officer, Saifullah Qadri, was shot dead outside his residence in Srinagar while a television artiste Amreen Bhat was gunned down in Budgam two days later.

On 2 June, hours after the killing of a banker from Rajasthan in Kulgam, two non-local labourers were shot at in Magraypora, Chadoora area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Thursday.

With fear and anxiety high among the people in the Valley, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a high-level meeting on Friday to discuss the situation with Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and other key officials.

(Since you have taken an interest in reading about Kashmir, I have a request for you. The Quint has been working on a documentary regarding the plight of Kashmiri Pandits. We would be grateful if you could support our upcoming special project, 'Uprooted - Stories of Kashmiri Pandits' - Anthony S Rozario, Associate Editor, Special Projects.)