In 1989, this was the call that was given from the mosques in Srinagar Valley. The call was given to the Kashmiri Hindus who have been living in the Valley for centuries. And given by Kashmiri Muslims, descendants of the forcibly converted Hindus by Islamists over a few centuries.
And there was another call by the Muslims: "We want an Azad Kashmir. Without the Hindu men, but with the Hindu women."
And more than three lakh Hindus were forcibly removed from the Valley, an end to the chapter of ethnic cleansing that had started a few centuries ago.
No Muslim neighbour of any of the Hindus came forward to protect them. In fact, many, many neighbours participated in forcing the Hindus to leave the Valley. There was no bleating by any Muslims, saying that they are ashamed at what is happening, as we hear today after the massacre of Hindus at Pahalgam. Nothing, except celebration. This harsh statement may not apply to some Muslims - but they are rare exceptions.
The bleating that is witnessed today has also to be seen in the background of what has been happening over the last 35 years. There is the case of allotting a land of 100 acres to the Shri Amarnath Board to construct facilities for the Hindu devotees who make the pilgrimage to the cave. The Legislative Assembly had passed unanimous resolutions to hand over the land. One day before the process was to be completed, the terrorist organised violent protests and even today the land has not been handed over. Some alleged that the land allotment will change the religious demography of the Valley. A ridiculous agreement, which was amplified by the Khan Market media. The area does not form even 1 sq km, against the land mass of the Valley of 16,000 sq km. To indicate the importance of the facilities that would be constructed on the 100 acres, in 1996 there was a weather-related tragedy that took away the lives of more than 250 people.
There was no bleating by the Kashmiri Muslims, and for the 'secularists' the absurd idea of demographic change served their political agenda.
Today, the targeted massacre of 26 Hindus and 1 Christian has evoked a lot of pretend anguish by some Muslims from the Valley and some others outside the Valley. And the pretend secularists, particularly from the media, highlight one horseman who was killed by the terrorists for intervening, without saying that there were many who just watched.
A particularly gruesome aspect of this terrorist attack was letting the women and children survive after witnessing the killing of their husband or father and the others. The objective of the terrorist is to let them tell the story of the terror, so that other Hindus all over Bharat are equally terrorised. An evil mindset from an evil ideology.
As they say: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." Hindus have been fooled many, many times. Hopefully, no more.
By Ashok Chowgule
(The Author is Vice President VHP )
(The content of this article reflects the views of writers and contributors, not necessarily those of the publisher and editor. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Delhi/New Delhi only)
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