Sushil Pandit needs no introduction. He wears many hats at a time: a communication strategist and scholar of Kashmir conflict are among prominent roles for which he is well-known. Go a bit deeper to unravel the person behind his persona. He loves to call himself a crusader for displaced Kashmiri Hindus, precisely pandits, who according to him, are ‘worst victims of genocide’ or Jihad to be precise.
“We have been facing Jihad for decades. I’m homeless in my country. Twenty-five years ago, in the winter of 1990, about four hundred thousand Pandits of Kashmir were forced to leave Kashmir, their homeland, to save their lives when militancy erupted there. Even today, they continue to live as ‘internally displaced migrants’ in their own country. It’s a war like no other, not a real estate for dominance. Kashmiri Hindus are not just sandwiches in a war between India and Pakistan, but we are waiting to go extinct because of the continuous worst kind of religious warfare called Jihad,” Pandit said.
The activist-leader, who was on a visit to Kolkata on Sunday, however, finds a similarity between the ‘plight of displaced Bengali Hindus and Kashmiri Pandits. “Today’s West Bengal exactly appears to be heading the kashmir way. Look at the trends, which are alarming. Like Kashmir of the eighties and nineties, West Bengal also is witnessing a rapid demographic change and attacks on Hindus. You have to notice the difference, which is stark and the pattern is sinister. A section is talking about peaceful co-existence and the other is plotting pogrom,” he said.
The scholar who donned a khadi jacket looked every bit of a quintessential Kashmiri Pandit, radiating in wisdom with a speech peppered with references of anecdotes of Shaivite, Vaishnavite tantra to Kalhana’s Rajatarangini, an epic poem (mahakavya) in Sanskrit running into nearly 8000 verses that are spread over eight books.
“Kashmir is a shining but uneasy jewel in the Indian crown. The Hindus of Kashmir are progenitors of Shaivite monism and Buddhism which spread to Central Asia, Tibet and Western China. This paradise on earth quickly showed decline after the advent of Islam which came to Kashmir 150 years after it arrived in Delhi. Thereafter it spread its vicious tentacles and erased all signs of sanatan dharma. Hindus were massacred, temples looted and outraged the modesty of women. The killing spree continued and resulted in a painful exodus of Hindus, the inheritors of vibrant Hindu tradition,” Pandit said with a tinge of sadness.
He drew similarities between Kashmir genocide and Ditrect Action Day of Kolkata in August 16, 1946, a bloody day when Islamists ran massive riots in Calcutta, killing more than 4,000 people and displacing 100,000 residents within 72 hours. “The pattern is similar in West Bengal and Kashmir, regions geographically far away, but eerily similar in terms of Jihadi aggression. Muslim League’s call for Direct Action Day and Kashmir genocide of Hindus are bloody spots in Indian history. The Calcutta riots of August 16, 1946, were triggered by the All-India Muslim League’s call for ‘Direct Action Day’ to press their demand for a separate Muslim homeland after the British exit from India. In the midst of this Hindu massacre back then in 1946, emerged Gopal Chandra Mukherjee, who was popularly known as Gopal Patha, who met fire with fire, playing a pivotal role in resistance against the Muslim mob violence. It is claimed that his efforts were instrumental in saving many Hindus from death and dishonour, earning him the status of a legend here. Unfortunately, Kashmir presented a different story as we were totally outnumbered by Muslims,” the leader said.
So, why are Kashmiri Hindus refugees in their home country?
Pandit blamed policy-makers for the mess. “Since 1990, Kashmiri Hindus were driven out from their soil, India has seen nine prime ministers and 13 governments but no establishment could offer
us relief. Those who are real victims are being pushed to the path of extinction and perpetrators are getting financial bonanza. There are files pending in Supreme Court, none was framed for the killings and massacre of Hindu lives which do not matter to the government which must understand Rs 80,000 monetary package won’t bring about a change in mindset of those who believe in annihilation of a civilisation. The killer of squadron leader Ravi Khanna was invited by the prime minister of a Hindu majority country and no justice was given to Sarala Bhat’s family. Kashmir came under brutal Islamic rule for 480 years as it was the cradle of spiritual revivalism where Sankaracharya visited and Nagajuna had finally settled. The paradise has been targeted with a purpose,” he said.
Article 370 useless?
Pandit said Article 370 was necessary but it should be backed up by pragmatic policies. “The absence of policies is hurting Kashmiri Hindus’ cause. Only abolishing Article 370 is not going to help finding out a lasting solution,” he said.
What’s the solution?
According to him, a solution is not difficult to achieve and needs just a wish. “What will you achieve by flashing Yoga Day photographs and selfies with practitioners? The head of the country needs to understand that splurging money on a state which is heavily populated by a section which does not believe in peaceful co-existence. They are out for Hindus’ blood and our policy-makers must understand this,” the leader said.
“What did Putin do in Chechnya and Jinping in Xinjiang? Did they hesitate and back out? Our government has to take decisive action as it’s a now or never game. Kill the virus now,” he added.
A bleak search for justice?
“What is the use of killing people in uniform like sandbags in the bunker?” he asked. He sees no utility in weak policies which can’t result in demographic advantage of Hindus. According to him there’s no mechanism to ensure safety and security of Kashmiri Hindus in their own land. “Please admit and acknowledge that Hindus had faced genocide and are still facing Jihad there. Rearing snakes in the backyard is not going to solve the problem. It’s an existential war, a civilisational clash of us vs them sort. Please act now, don’t delay to repent for thousands of years,” he said in an appeal to the government.
Need for resistance
The leader speaks on the importance of Hindu unification shedding differences of opinion, social and economic barriers. His love for Bengal and Bengal-brand of resistance becomes apparent when he brings the reference of freedom fighters and anti-Jihad resistance leaders in west Bengal. “Our motto should be if I put my words in Bengali Rokto debo, pran debo kintu jomi debo na(I’ll shed my blood, sacrifice my life but won’t give an inch of my land). I appeal to Hindus to arise, awake and contribute to whichever capacity to put up a resistance against aggressors and annihilators of civilization. It’s time to defeat the perpetrators tooth and nail. Resistance is the battle cry,” he signed off.