जन गण मन की कहानी

1905 में जब बंगाल विभाजन को लेकर अंग्रेजो के खिलाफ बंग-भंग आन्दोलन के विरोध में बंगाल के लोग उठ खड़े हुए तो अंग्रेजो ने अपने आपको बचाने के लिए के कलकत्ता से हटाकर राजधानी को दिल्ली ले गए और 1911 में दिल्ली को राजधानी घोषित कर दिया। पूरे भारत में उस समय लोग विद्रोह से भरे हुए थे तो अंग्रेजो ने अपने इंग्लॅण्ड के राजा को भारत आमंत्रित किया ताकि लोग शांत हो जाये। इंग्लैंड का राजा जोर्ज पंचम 1911 में भारत में आया। रविंद्रनाथ टैगोर पर दबाव बनाया गया कि तुम्हे एक गीत जोर्ज पंचम के स्वागत में लिखना ही होगा।

उस समय टैगोर का परिवार अंग्रेजों के काफी नजदीक हुआ करता था, उनके परिवार के बहुत से लोग ईस्ट इंडिया कंपनी के लिए काम किया करते थे, उनके बड़े भाई अवनींद्र नाथ टैगोर बहुत दिनों तक ईस्ट इंडिया कंपनी के कलकत्ता डिविजन के निदेशक (Director) रहे। उनके परिवार का बहुत पैसा ईस्ट इंडिया कंपनी में लगा हुआ था। और खुद रविन्द्र नाथ टैगोर की बहुत सहानुभूति थी अंग्रेजों के लिए। रविंद्रनाथ टैगोर ने मन से या बेमन से जो गीत लिखा उसके बोल है "जन गण मन अधिनायक जय हे भारत भाग्य विधाता"। इस गीत के सारे के सारे शब्दों में अंग्रेजी राजा जोर्ज पंचम का गुणगान है, जिसका अर्थ समझने पर पता लगेगा कि ये तो हकीक़त में ही अंग्रेजो की खुशामद में लिखा गया था।

इस राष्ट्रगान का अर्थ कुछ इस तरह से होता है "भारत के नागरिक, भारत की जनता अपने मन से आपको भारत का भाग्य विधाता समझती है और मानती है। हे अधिनायक (Superhero) तुम्ही भारत के भाग्य विधाता हो। तुम्हारी जय हो ! जय हो ! जय हो ! तुम्हारे भारत आने से सभी प्रान्त पंजाब, सिंध, गुजरात, मराठा मतलब महारास्त्र, द्रविड़ मतलब दक्षिण भारत, उत्कल मतलब उड़ीसा, बंगाल आदि और जितनी भी नदिया जैसे यमुना और गंगा ये सभी हर्षित है, खुश है, प्रसन्न है , तुम्हारा नाम लेकर ही हम जागते है और तुम्हारे नाम का आशीर्वाद चाहते है। तुम्हारी ही हम गाथा गाते है। हे भारत के भाग्य विधाता (सुपर हीरो ) तुम्हारी जय हो जय हो जय हो। "

जोर्ज पंचम भारत आया 1911 में और उसके स्वागत में ये गीत गाया गया। जब वो इंग्लैंड चला गया तो उसने उस जन गण मन का अंग्रेजी में अनुवाद करवाया। क्योंकि जब भारत में उसका इस गीत से स्वागत हुआ था तब उसके समझ में नहीं आया था कि ये गीत क्यों गाया गया और इसका अर्थ क्या है। जब अंग्रेजी अनुवाद उसने सुना तो वह बोला कि इतना सम्मान और इतनी खुशामद तो मेरी आज तक इंग्लॅण्ड में भी किसी ने नहीं की। वह बहुत खुश हुआ। उसने आदेश दिया कि जिसने भी ये गीत उसके (जोर्ज पंचम के) लिए लिखा है उसे इंग्लैंड बुलाया जाये। रविन्द्र नाथ टैगोर इंग्लैंड गए। जोर्ज पंचम उस समय नोबल पुरस्कार समिति का अध्यक्ष भी था।

उसने रविन्द्र नाथ टैगोर को नोबल पुरस्कार से सम्मानित करने का फैसला किया। तो रविन्द्र नाथ टैगोर ने इस नोबल पुरस्कार को लेने से मना कर दिया। क्यों कि गाँधी जी ने बहुत बुरी तरह से रविन्द्रनाथ टेगोर को उनके इस गीत के लिए खूब डांटा था। टैगोर ने कहा की आप मुझे नोबल पुरस्कार देना ही चाहते हैं तो मैंने एक गीतांजलि नामक रचना लिखी है उस पर मुझे दे दो लेकिन इस गीत के नाम पर मत दो और यही प्रचारित किया जाये क़ि मुझे जो नोबेल पुरस्कार दिया गया है वो गीतांजलि नामक रचना के ऊपर दिया गया है। जोर्ज पंचम मान गया और रविन्द्र नाथ टैगोर को सन 1913 में गीतांजलि नामक रचना के ऊपर नोबल पुरस्कार दिया गया।

रविन्द्र नाथ टैगोर की ये सहानुभूति ख़त्म हुई 1919 में जब जलिया वाला कांड हुआ और गाँधी जी ने लगभग गाली की भाषा में उनको पत्र लिखा और कहा क़ि अभी भी तुम्हारी आँखों से अंग्रेजियत का पर्दा नहीं उतरेगा तो कब उतरेगा, तुम अंग्रेजों के इतने चाटुकार कैसे हो गए, तुम इनके इतने समर्थक कैसे हो गए ? फिर गाँधी जी स्वयं रविन्द्र नाथ टैगोर से मिलने गए और बहुत जोर से डाटा कि अभी तक तुम अंग्रेजो की अंध भक्ति में डूबे हुए हो ? तब जाकर रविंद्रनाथ टैगोर की नीद खुली। इस काण्ड का टैगोर ने विरोध किया और नोबल पुरस्कार अंग्रेजी हुकूमत को लौटा दिया। सन 1919 से पहले जितना कुछ भी रविन्द्र नाथ टैगोर ने लिखा वो अंग्रेजी सरकार के पक्ष में था और 1919 के बाद उनके लेख कुछ कुछ अंग्रेजो के खिलाफ होने लगे थे।

रविन्द्र नाथ टेगोर के बहनोई, सुरेन्द्र नाथ बनर्जी लन्दन में रहते थे और ICS ऑफिसर थे। अपने बहनोई को उन्होंने एक पत्र लिखा था (ये 1919 के बाद की घटना है) । इसमें उन्होंने लिखा है कि ये गीत 'जन गण मन' अंग्रेजो के द्वारा मुझ पर दबाव डलवाकर लिखवाया गया है। इसके शब्दों का अर्थ अच्छा नहीं है। इस गीत को नहीं गाया जाये तो अच्छा है। लेकिन अंत में उन्होंने लिख दिया कि इस चिठ्ठी को किसी को नहीं दिखाए क्योंकि मैं इसे सिर्फ आप तक सीमित रखना चाहता हूँ लेकिन जब कभी मेरी म्रत्यु हो जाये तो सबको बता दे। 7 अगस्त 1941 को रबिन्द्र नाथ टैगोर की मृत्यु के बाद इस पत्र को सुरेन्द्र नाथ बनर्जी ने ये पत्र सार्वजनिक किया, और सारे देश को ये कहा क़ि ये जन गन मन गीत न गाया जाये।

1941 तक कांग्रेस पार्टी थोड़ी उभर चुकी थी। लेकिन वह दो खेमो में बट गई। जिसमे एक खेमे के समर्थक बाल गंगाधर तिलक थे और दुसरे खेमे में मोती लाल नेहरु थे। मतभेद था सरकार बनाने को लेकर। मोती लाल नेहरु चाहते थे कि स्वतंत्र भारत की सरकार अंग्रेजो के साथ कोई संयोजक सरकार (Coalition Government) बने। जबकि गंगाधर तिलक कहते थे कि अंग्रेजो के साथ मिलकर सरकार बनाना तो भारत के लोगों को धोखा देना है। इस मतभेद के कारण लोकमान्य तिलक कांग्रेस से निकल गए और उन्होंने गरम दल बनाया। कोंग्रेस के दो हिस्से हो गए। एक नरम दल और एक गरम दल।

गरम दल के नेता थे लोकमान्य तिलक जैसे क्रन्तिकारी। वे हर जगह वन्दे मातरम गाया करते थे। और नरम दल के नेता थे मोती लाल नेहरु (यहाँ मैं स्पष्ट कर दूँ कि गांधीजी उस समय तक कांग्रेस की आजीवन सदस्यता से इस्तीफा दे चुके थे, वो किसी तरफ नहीं थे, लेकिन गाँधी जी दोनों पक्ष के लिए आदरणीय थे क्योंकि गाँधी जी देश के लोगों के आदरणीय थे)। लेकिन नरम दल वाले ज्यादातर अंग्रेजो के साथ रहते थे। उनके साथ रहना, उनको सुनना, उनकी बैठकों में शामिल होना। हर समय अंग्रेजो से समझौते में रहते थे। वन्देमातरम से अंग्रेजो को बहुत चिढ होती थी। नरम दल वाले गरम दल को चिढाने के लिए 1911 में लिखा गया गीत "जन गण मन" गाया करते थे और गरम दल वाले "वन्दे मातरम"।

नरम दल वाले अंग्रेजों के समर्थक थे और अंग्रेजों को ये गीत पसंद नहीं था तो अंग्रेजों के कहने पर नरम दल वालों ने उस समय एक हवा उड़ा दी कि मुसलमानों को वन्दे मातरम नहीं गाना चाहिए क्यों कि इसमें बुतपरस्ती (मूर्ति पूजा) है। और आप जानते है कि मुसलमान मूर्ति पूजा के कट्टर विरोधी है। उस समय मुस्लिम लीग भी बन गई थी जिसके प्रमुख मोहम्मद अली जिन्ना थे। उन्होंने भी इसका विरोध करना शुरू कर दिया क्योंकि जिन्ना भी देखने भर को (उस समय तक) भारतीय थे मन,कर्म और वचन से अंग्रेज ही थे उन्होंने भी अंग्रेजों के इशारे पर ये कहना शुरू किया और मुसलमानों को वन्दे मातरम गाने से मना कर दिया। जब भारत सन 1947 में स्वतंत्र हो गया तो जवाहर लाल नेहरु ने इसमें राजनीति कर डाली। संविधान सभा की बहस चली। संविधान सभा के 319 में से 318 सांसद ऐसे थे जिन्होंने बंकिम बाबु द्वारा लिखित वन्देमातरम को राष्ट्र गान स्वीकार करने पर सहमति जताई।

बस एक सांसद ने इस प्रस्ताव को नहीं माना। और उस एक सांसद का नाम था पंडित जवाहर लाल नेहरु। उनका तर्क था कि वन्दे मातरम गीत से मुसलमानों के दिल को चोट पहुचती है इसलिए इसे नहीं गाना चाहिए (दरअसल इस गीत से मुसलमानों को नहीं अंग्रेजों के दिल को चोट पहुंचती थी)। अब इस झगडे का फैसला कौन करे, तो वे पहुचे गाँधी जी के पास। गाँधी जी ने कहा कि जन गन मन के पक्ष में तो मैं भी नहीं हूँ और तुम (नेहरु ) वन्देमातरम के पक्ष में नहीं हो तो कोई तीसरा गीत तैयार किया जाये। तो महात्मा गाँधी ने तीसरा विकल्प झंडा गान के रूप में दिया "विजयी विश्व तिरंगा प्यारा झंडा ऊँचा रहे हमारा"। लेकिन नेहरु जी उस पर भी तैयार नहीं हुए।

नेहरु जी का तर्क था कि झंडा गान ओर्केस्ट्रा पर नहीं बज सकता और जन गन मन ओर्केस्ट्रा पर बज सकता है। उस समय बात नहीं बनी तो नेहरु जी ने इस मुद्दे को गाँधी जी की मृत्यु तक टाले रखा और उनकी मृत्यु के बाद नेहरु जी ने जन गण मन को राष्ट्र गान घोषित कर दिया और जबरदस्ती भारतीयों पर इसे थोप दिया गया जबकि इसके जो बोल है उनका अर्थ कुछ और ही कहानी प्रस्तुत करते है, और दूसरा पक्ष नाराज न हो इसलिए वन्दे मातरम को राष्ट्रगीत बना दिया गया लेकिन कभी गया नहीं गया। नेहरु जी कोई ऐसा काम नहीं करना चाहते थे जिससे कि अंग्रेजों के दिल को चोट पहुंचे, मुसलमानों के वो इतने हिमायती कैसे हो सकते थे जिस आदमी ने पाकिस्तान बनवा दिया जब कि इस देश के मुसलमान पाकिस्तान नहीं चाहते थे, जन गण मन को इस लिए तरजीह दी गयी क्योंकि वो अंग्रेजों की भक्ति में गाया गया गीत था और वन्देमातरम इसलिए पीछे रह गया क्योंकि इस गीत से अंगेजों को दर्द होता था।

बीबीसी ने एक सर्वे किया था। उसने पूरे संसार में जितने भी भारत के लोग रहते थे, उनसे पुछा कि आपको दोनों में से कौन सा गीत ज्यादा पसंद है तो 99 % लोगों ने कहा वन्देमातरम। बीबीसी के इस सर्वे से एक बात और साफ़ हुई कि दुनिया के सबसे लोकप्रिय गीतों में दुसरे नंबर पर वन्देमातरम है। कई देश है जिनके लोगों को इसके बोल समझ में नहीं आते है लेकिन वो कहते है कि इसमें जो लय है उससे एक जज्बा पैदा होता है।

तो ये इतिहास है वन्दे मातरम का और जन गण मन का। अब ये आप को तय करना है कि आपको क्या गाना है ?

इतने लम्बे पत्र को आपने धैर्यपूर्वक पढ़ा इसके लिए आपका धन्यवाद्। और अच्छा लगा हो तो इसे फॉरवर्ड कीजिये, आप अगर और भारतीय भाषाएँ जानते हों तो इसे उस भाषा में अनुवादित कीजिये अंग्रेजी छोड़ कर।

जय हिंद |

Open Letter to Kashmiri Pandit Leadership

Namaskar!

[This open letter of mine is not in any way to sideline, demean or belittle the present frontline KP leadership. However, after reading in-between the lines, if it appears like that, I sincerely apologize for the same. But my intention is not to sideline, demean or belittle anyone.]

It has been 21+ years since we were forced out of our home and hearth of thousands of years by Islamic fundamentalists as their aim is to Islamize whole of India by whatever ways. We are simply “Kafirs or Infidels” for them, who deserve only death as well prescribed in their Q’uran and the same has been followed since the advent of Islam, which is well documented in the realms of history.

Since September 1989 onwards, we have been subjected to innumerable injustice and atrocities at the hands of KM’s (read Islamic Zealots), GoI and other sickularists, only for their petty vote politics. Over the period of time, we have very clearly understood that we have no friends but enemies all around and even within. During this period we also saw/experienced withering of our own zest apart from disintegration of Panun Kashmir Movement (PKM) because of the unnecessary ego clashes and whatnot of its leadership, which resulted in dwindling of support to PKM, thereby serving a severe blow to our movement and disillusionment among the KP Community. Apart from above fact, we saw mushrooming of new KP Organisations without any agenda, aim and not to talk about road map. We are witnessing washing of “dirty linen in public” by these so-called KP Organisations, which is further eroding the image of KP Community. It is really shameful and disgusting. All this could have been avoided had people exerted restraint and used a bit of wisdom at the right time.

The responsibility of the same lies with the leadership. Why? It is the leader who is at the forefront and the responsibilities have been bestowed upon them. The Leadership is having a holistic view of everything and is in a better position to gauge events and accordingly take actions/decisions.

Here I will quote my FB friend Kanwal Vishal Kaul and hope he does not mind.

Quote:

“Definitely, why do we put all the blame on Leaders? See it is the basis of each job that the responsibility lies on the decision maker, the one who is assigned with the job. When India did first Nuclear Test, every one praised Indira for that. Did she develop the technology? Did she sit day and night trying to pave the way out? Nope. But, she got the credit. I am in International Marketing. If I fail to get orders, it’s my failure and not that of my production or my team. As the wise men say, ‘With Great Powers Come Great Responsibilities’. As a leader, one needs to know this. This becomes more so if the majority is in favour of having one organisation and one agenda, as is the case with us all. The leaders, so called, are to unite together as one and then only can we make a step forward. If someone feels that he/she is putting the society under obligation by doing some work then it is better for him/her to step down. Any person who takes the job has to take the job with all its aspects, pros and cons.”

UnQuote

But I have not lost the hope. This years Martyr’s Day can be termed as a Landmark in the history of entire KP community. The event held at Press Club, Jammu saw the attendance of Panun Kashmir factions as well as KP groups who otherwise were/are oblivious to each other. The remarkable spontaneity and flowing ease with which the various groups gelled with each other really marks the coming of age of KP politics. Not that this one event would result in thawing of years of detachment between these frontline players of KP politics but certainly shows that given inspirational Leadership, they can work together in the overall interests of the community. Over the years, if we could pin point one single factor responsible for the distance between various meaningful groups, it would be the hyper egos of our leaders and yesterday in the Martyr’s Day function, we could see those melt away, maybe for sometime but melt they did. We have a choice to either leave it at that or built upon slowly on the positive take of the Martyr’s Day function and create a wider edifice, where to begin with at least, the major groups start working together. Our past experiences should not deter us from making fresh and positive moves. The truth of the matter is that all previous failures in moving together were preventable but we did not try hard enough and at times we could see a complete paralysis of the will power to act. We have to move away from self and show a spirit of sacrifice and of course courage is the bedrock of Leadership and in the Martyr’s Day function, it was at display in ample measures.

The above paragraph are the views written of my another FB friend Virender Raina, who has penned down the outcome of Martyr’s Day function aptly and is exact echo of my views. I could not have put my views in any better way than Virender Raina has. Thanks Virender.

Should we then expect that a new age of ours is going to start and a renewed movement with vigour and fervour is again going to take place? I think and hope, YES. Let the Leadership not allow this opportunity go waist, least it will prove disastrous for all of us. It will allow our enemies to further divide us to horrible levels where from it will be next to impossible for us even to think about raising our voice. I am very sure the Leadership will never ever even dream of a situation/scenario like that. So, dear friends, buckle up, get up and seize the opportunity which has been bestowed upon you. You will never get another opportunity like this in the near future. By not seizing the opportunity you will allow yourself to be written off by your own community. God forbid, if that happens, it will be shameful for whole of the community.

Ahee!

Jai Hind , Jai Panun Kashmir

Making Genocide Legal

By Dr. Ajay Chrungoo*

[This was written before orders for recruitment of selected Kashmiri Hindus as per PM's package were issued. Hope it is of some value for the debate on Return Policy of Government.]

The State Government’s notification, for recruitment of Displaced Kashmiri Hindus (Kashmiri Migrants) as per the Prime Minister’s Package, incorporates a new definition of who is a ‘Migrant’, which has profound implications. This definition when read together with the ‘agreement’ which the selected candidate has to sign provides a comprehensive picture of the mindset of the state government.

As per the notification “Migrant Means A Person” who “has migrated from Kashmir valley after 1st November, 1989 and is registered as such with the Relief Commissioner or has not been so registered on the ground of his being in service of Government in any moving office, or having left the valley or any other part of the State in pursuit of occupation or vocation or otherwise and is possessed of immovable property at the place from where he has migrated but is unable to ordinarily reside there due to the disturbed conditions and includes an internally displaced person, for the purpose of the clause an internally displaced person means a person who had to migrate within valley from his original place of residence in Kashmir valley for reasons of security and is registered as such with the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner Migrants.” The state government while starting the recruitment process for the Prime Minister’s Package has chosen to modify the definition of the ‘Migrant’ which guided the policy of the state government so far.

The new definition for migrants incorporates the following qualification, “…. and includes an internally displaced person, for the purpose of the clause an internally displaced person means a person who had to migrate within valley from its original residence in Kashmir valley for reasons of security and is registered as such with the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner Migrants.” Till now the state government recognized only those as migrants, who had migrated from valley after November, 1989. Now it seeks to recognize persons living in valley, who have shifted from one place of valley to the other for security reasons, also as migrants.

A story, which is in circulation amongst the Displaced Kashmiri Hindus in Jammu, may help us to understand the purpose and purport of the modification in the definition of the ‘Migrant’. Before the State Cabinet eventually decided to start the recruitment drive for around 3000 posts for the ‘Migrants’, for which Central Government had committed the financial assistance as per the Prime Minister’s Package, news papers in Jammu reported on several occasions the decision of the state cabinet to go ahead with the Recruitment Drive. People in Jammu were baffled as to why the same decision was being taken repeatedly by the Government. After one such news paper report, that the state government has decided to go ahead with the recruitment drive, a group of Kashmiri Hindu activists were reportedly prodded by a journalist friend to go to the Revenue Minister to thank him for the same. The activists reportedly met the Minister who told them that no such decision had been taken by the state cabinet till then and also informed them that they had a wrong notion that they were the only migrants. He reportedly told them that Kashmiri Pandits constituted only a small fraction of migrants of Kashmir and they should not expect more than a few hundred jobs. The activists’ delegation returned dejected after meeting the Minister and complained to their journalist friend who had arranged for the meeting. While discussing the issue at Press club a Congress leader, who happened to be there, reportedly told them that the State Cabinet had in fact discussed the issue but the NC leader and the Senior Cabinet Minister Abdul Rahim Rather had opposed the move vehemently and also suggested that the Kashmiri Hindus were not the only migrants and there were many migrants living in the valley itself. 

The story, true or rumor, however became the talk of the town for Kashmiri Hindus living in Jammu. The motives of the State Government became clear after the notification was published and modified definition of 'migrant' came to public light. This modified definition of ‘migrant’, when seen together with the ‘agreement’ which the selected candidate has to furnish before joining, completes the picture of the mind set guiding the state government. The new definition empowers the government to recruit persons amongst the locals in the valley for the Prime Minister’s Package which was essentially devised for persons displaced from the valley. And the ‘agreement’ that in case the newly recruited employee migrates from Kashmir valley again ‘at any stage for any reasons whatsoever, he/she will automatically stand terminated from services and shall have no claim against any post under the State’, ensures that the new recruit accepts the social and political order in the valley totally and unconditionally.

The grim irony of the whole process is that the State Government has vehemently opposed the Employment Package for the Displaced Kashmiri Hindus outside the valley on the plea that the situation has improved significantly on the ground in the Valley and at the same time sought to enlarge the definition of the ‘migrant’ by claiming that there has been internal displacement within the valley itself from one place to another in recent years because of security reasons and such persons should also be treated at par with ‘migrants’ outside the valley. The intentions of the State Government are brazen enough to be missed. The State Government by opposing the employment outside the valley creates condition of attrition for the Kashmiri Hindus not to avail of the opportunity of a job for which the Central government has furnished the necessary resources. It also seeks to take a significant slice out of the employment package by creating a new category of migrants living in the valley and creating space for Muslim Recruitment. To the secret list of Muslim Migrants in Jammu and the Political Migrants whose names and whereabouts have always been kept under the warps, one more secret list of migrants who are Internally Displaced within the valley itself must have been already added well before the recruitment drive started. At the same time the State government resorts to strip the employee of all fundamental rights by making him or her sign an agreement of the type already referred to here.

November 9-10, 1936, in the history of Jewish holocaust, has come to be known as Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) outside the Germany and ‘Night of Pogrom’ within the Germany. That night Nazis looted and then destroyed thousands of Jewish homes and business establishment in every part of the country in Germany. After the Kristallnacht writes Richard Rubenstein, “the hoodlums were banished and the bureaucrat took over.” In the weeks that followed key Nazi officials led by Henirich Himmler saw to it that the measures against the Jews were strictly ‘legal’. Kristallnacht started for Kashmiri Hindus in the latest phase of their genocide after the locks of Ram Temple in Ayodhya were opened in December1986 and the Muslim vengeance was wrecked on Kashmiri Hindus in Anantnag with the burning and looting of Hindu houses and plunder and desecration of Hindu Temples. But the Kristallnacht didn’t abate after a few days for Kashmiri Hindus. It emerged in its full fury on 19 January, 1990 and continued thereafter till whole of the Hindu habitat in the Valley was destroyed. The bureaucrats and the political class in the valley had taken over well before the unleashing of destruction to make many of the acts of attrition to look perfectly ‘legal ‘and their control has only strengthened since then.

When the displaced population was named as ‘migrant’ it was an act of ‘legal’ attrition seeking to dispossess the victim even the sympathy of the population willing to help and deprive them of the help of any proper legal framework which could have guided the government policies. Almost all aspect of the handling of the problem of Kashmiri Hindus, in exile where they were in a relative safety from the direct physical assault of the perpetrators, have been subjected to this legal and administrative attrition. At the peak of militancy in early 90’s, promotion orders of migrant employees were issued posting the promoted Kashmiri Hindu women folk in the areas like Kupwara which were remote and in the grip of militancy. All the women folk at that time chose to forgo their promotion orders and the vacant positions were duly filled from amongst the local Muslim. The processes of usurpation chosen was given a veneer to appear perfectly legal. When land and property records were allowed to be tampered with and Hindu properties fraudulently occupied or encroached upon the perpetrators used again a methodology to give an impression that usurpation was 'legal'. Prolonged and protracted litigation by displaced Kashmiri Hindus to salvage their properties is a saga of struggle in extreme penury. Bureaucrats and the communal establishment took over to decide the parameters of ex-gratia relief or insurance claims for the Hindu properties burnt and destroyed in the Valley. A cursory comparison with the parameters of relief and cash assistance given to the residents who had suffered damage during the earthquake in the valley will bring out in ample measure the mindset at work. It took almost hundred orders for the government to restore the basic rights of the ‘migrant employee’. For each order to materialize the displaced Hindu employees had to wage a relentless struggle of protests, dharnas and rallies in scorching heat. Hundreds of them perished during these mobilization drives because of heat strokes.

More recent example is about the HRA-CCA allowance for the displaced employees which had been denied to most of them all these years. Employees went to the State High Court for the redressal of their problems. Even after the double bench of High Court upheld the plea of the employees. But the State Government refused to restore the right and instead chose to challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court. The State Government plea was dismissed by the Supreme Court as well. It is now months since the Supreme Court dismissed the government plea but the State government is yet to move in the matter. In the process hundreds of employees have retired and those who are in service are still not sure whether they will eventually get the benefit which was always their right. The attrition in exile has assumed the legal form guided by the perpetrators and collaborators of genocide within the government and the political establishment. The phenomenon is manifest glaringly in the return policy of the government. The policy is being used to force the victim to conform and submit or face the spectre of abject destitution and perish. The recruitment drive for ‘Kashmiri migrants’ is basically a process to strip him of his right to live with dignity and honour.

What the government is doing is brazen and yet those who should act are refusing to see the writing on the wall. Joseph Goebbels once confided about his methods in a confidential meeting with the German Journalists, “…up to now we have succeeded in leaving the enemy in the dark concerning Germany’s real goals.. just 1932 our domestic foes never saw where we were going or that our oath of legality was just a trick… we wanted to come to power legally, but we did not use power legally… they could have suppressed us..... They could have arrested a couple of us in 1925 and that would have been that, the end. No they let us through the danger zone…. They let us alone and let us slip through the risky zone and we were able to sail around all dangerous reefs.” Kashmiri Hindus are being subjected to a new phase of genocidal attrition by an enemy who is thinking that it has crossed the ‘danger zone’ and can now wage the war with more confidence. The government of India is living in a twilight between “knowing and unknowing” and is refusing the ‘full realization of facts because it feels unable to face the implications of these facts’. Kashmiri Hindus cannot afford to refuse to see the facts because the genocide is far from having abated. The return process initiated by the government is not a rehabilitation process but only a grave refoulment.

* (The author heads one of the faction of Panun Kashmir)