Justice For Sarla Bhatt Step Towards Resolving Pain Of Kashmiri Hindus, But More Needs To Be Done

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The way forward for resettling Kashmiri Hindus and addressing their pain requires earnest effort from both sides. The J&K government, L-G, and Centre should engage them in dialogue
A nurse at a medical institute in Srinagar, Sarla Bhatt was gangraped and murdered on April 14, 1990. Her body was found on the roadside in Lal Bazar Road area. Nearly 35 years later, there is hope that her soul and her family will finally find closure. But this brutal act was not an isolated incident.
In this case, the police did not return Bhatt's clothes to her family. As a nurse at a medical institute in Srinagar's Saura, she witnessed terror activities making her a target.
BACKGROUND
The period from 1980 to 1990 was marked by ethnic cleansing of Hindus and Sikh women and men. Even children were not spared, resulting in the mass exodus of hundreds of thousands of people from their ancestral homeland.
This was not a sudden event of 1990, but began much earlier as Ratan Sharda notes in his book, Conflict Resolution – The RSS Way.
The first visible signs appeared on April 7, 1986, when newspapers warned that a large number of Hindus might migrate out of Kashmir Valley. The RSS was one of the earliest to raise the alarm.
On April 24, 1986, the then Union home minister PV Narasimha Rao admitted to the grim situation in the Rajya Sabha. State elections were held under the Congress-NC alliance in March 1987, with Farooq Abdullah becoming chief minister with 66 seats and backed by Rajiv Gandhi.
Governor Jagmohan, an appointee of Rajiv Gandhi, wrote in his book My Frozen Turbulence in Kashmir: 'Any suggestion or warning [to Rajiv Gandhi] was either smiled away or lulled with false assurance. Rajiv's man in the Valley, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, was empty both in beliefs and action. And it was this emptiness that was as disastrous as the indifference of the ruling clique at New Delhi."
On August 23, 1988, another question was raised in the Rajya Sabha about Kashmiri Hindus moving to various states. Despite the worsening situation, Rajiv Gandhi and Farooq Abdullah still held power. Then home minister Buta Singh cynically stated that Kashmiri Pandits, like other Indians, were moving in search of better economic prospects.
Between July and December 1989, 70 terrorists were released with the blessings of the NC-Congress government, becoming fully active again. By the time the state government was dismissed, the situation had deteriorated beyond control.
On August 1, 1991, minister of state for home MM Jacob informed the Lok Sabha that by June 1991, over 72,000 Hindu families had migrated from Kashmir Valley to Jammu and Delhi. Assuming a family size of five to 10 members, this number could be anywhere between 3,60,000 to 7,20,000 with actual numbers possibly higher.
Jagmohan was reappointed as governor on January 19, 1990, but by then, J&K was already lost to terrorists and the large exodus of Kashmiri Hindus had occurred amid loudspeaker announcements of 'Raliv, Chaliv, Galiv (Convert, Go or Die)". With limited power and few trustworthy officers, he could do little within 12 hours.
In the following years, governments kept separatists appeased with regular payments, and even a self-declared killer was entertained at the Prime Minister's home. Naturally, Kashmiri Hindus never received justice. The Supreme Court did not entertain their complaints, deeming them time-barred, a day when humanity lost.
As with the 1984 Sikh massacre, the Narendra Modi-led government took it upon itself to deliver justice. Notorious terrorists and separatists are now in jail.
The nullification of articles 370 and 35A, along with intelligent policies, has brought near normalcy to Jammu and Kashmir after four decades. It is hoped that one day, Kashmiri Hindus will return to their land and homes. But several issues need attention.
POSSIBLE PATH OF PEACEFUL RECONCILIATION
During so-called secular regimes, bringing normalcy to the Valley meant only talking to dominant Sunni Kashmiri Muslims. Other Muslims and Hindus were not included in discussions, nor were their views considered.
There was an over-reliance on the Kashmiri bureaucracy in policymaking and governance. Kashmiri Hindus believe that the situation has not changed significantly.
The process of filing domicile certificates and obtaining voting rights was made so complex that it required intervention from organisations like the Jammu Kashmir Study Centre to simplify it. Consequently, Kashmiri Hindus did not participate wholeheartedly, leading to low voter turnout. The BJP government did not seem to effectively address this critical process.
On the issue of returning to the Valley, Kashmiri Hindus have not spoken with one voice. Some wish to return to their ancestral homes with full security provided by the government, while others prefer secured colonies exclusively for them with government security. There are varied opinions on their return, and it appears the government has not engaged them in dialogue as it does with Muslims of the Valley.
The way forward for resettling Kashmiri Hindus and addressing their pain requires earnest effort from both sides. The Jammu and Kashmir government, lieutenant governor, and Centre should engage Kashmiri Hindus in dialogue even if it involves multiple meetings.
The bureaucracy in Jammu and the Valley must be sensitive to the pain and fears of Kashmiri Hindus. The native population, who have paid the highest price for standing by their dharma, should not be overlooked.
Kashmiri Hindu leaders must rise above their egos and individualism to reach a consensus on their expectations from the state and Centre. Criticising policies without offering solutions is unproductive.
They have undergone unforgettable and unforgivable trauma, but with the central government's commitment and strength to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir issue, it is incumbent upon them to respond constructively and offer solutions for a secure and prosperous future. Efforts for justice for Sarla Bhatt are another step towards resolving the pain of Kashmiri Hindus, and further steps must be taken with equal resolve.
(Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views)
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tags :
jammu and kashmir kashmiri pandits
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Location :
New Delhi, India, India
First Published:
August 18, 2025, 10:03 IST
News opinion Opinion | Justice For Sarla Bhatt Step Towards Resolving Pain Of Kashmiri Hindus, But More Needs To Be Done
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