22 Years Since the Nadimarg Massacre today Kashmiri Pandits Still Await Justice, Dignity, and a Voice— KPC express pain and anguish as well as tributes to Nadimarg Martyrs.—– Kundan Kashmiri.

On the eve of the 22rd anniversary of the Nadimarg massacre, we bow our heads in solemn tribute to the 24 innocent Kashmiri Pandits who were brutally killed in the dead of night on March 23, 2003. This barbaric act of terror is a grim reminder of the atrocities committed against our community—acts that continue to haunt our collective memory.

The blood of our martyrs cries out for justice, and it is the moral, legal, and constitutional duty of the Government of India to deliver it without delay. The Kashmiri Pandit Conference (KPC), pays homage to these innocent lives and reaffirms its unwavering resolve to fight for the restoration of our rights, dignity, and rightful place in our ancestors land.

For 35 long years, the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community has endured the pain of forced exile, the loss of our ancestral homeland in the Kashmir Valley, and the deliberate neglect of successive governments. Despite our unshakable faith in the democratic system and our substantial contributions to the nation’s progress, our fundamental concerns remain unaddressed. It is time for the Government of India to act decisively and fulfill its obligations toward Kashmiri Pandits, who have suffered the brunt of targeted violence, institutional indifference, and social exclusion.

The mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1989-90 was not a mere incident of migration—it was genocide. The systematic persecution and targeted killings that forced us to flee our homeland were calculated acts of ethnic cleansing aimed at erasing our presence from Kashmir.

We demand that the Government of India officially recognize the Kashmiri Pandit exodus as genocide under both national laws and international conventions. Such acknowledgment is not only a moral obligation but a legal imperative to ensure justice and hold the perpetrators accountable.

Furthermore, the Kashmiri Pandit community must be formally declared as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), thereby granting us the legal protections and benefits due under international human rights frameworks.

The return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley cannot be a mere symbolic gesture. It must be rooted in a comprehensive, concrete, and guaranteed rehabilitation policy that ensures our safety, dignity, and permanent settlement. The Government of India must establish a dedicated and secure one place settlement in the Kashmir Valley, to be named “Kashyap Bhoomi,” as an exclusive and autonomous area for the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community. This land, inseparably linked to our ancient identity and cultural heritage, will provide a safe and permanent home where we can live without fear. To ensure the safety of returning families, the government must provide robust security infrastructure around Kashyap Bhoomi.

Kashmiri Pandits are not just a minority; we are the indigenous people of Kashmir. Our cultural, historical, and spiritual lineage in the Valley is unbroken and stretches back to ancient times. We demand the immediate recognition of our Indigenous Status, along with all associated legal rights and benefits. This formal acknowledgment must include special constitutional safeguards to protect our unique identity, cultural heritage, and historical legacy. As the original inhabitants of Kashmir, we are entitled to specific legal and political protections that prevent further attempts to erase our existence. Recognition of our Indigenous Status must also guarantee us exclusive benefits in education, employment, and governance while protecting us from future displacement and marginalization.

Decades of displacement have led to the widespread illegal occupation and encroachment of Kashmiri Pandit properties and religious sites. We demand the immediate and strict enforcement of the J&K Migrant Immovable Property (Preservation, Protection, and Restraint on Distress Sale) Act, along with the establishment of fast-track courts to expedite the return of encroached properties to their rightful owners. The government must ensure the preservation, restoration, and protection of all Kashmiri Pandit religious and cultural sites, which remain at risk of being lost forever due to neglect and unlawful occupation.

The economic hardships faced by displaced Kashmiri Pandits are severe and ongoing. The current monthly relief amount of ₹3,250 per person is woefully inadequate to meet basic living expenses. We demand an immediate increase in the monthly relief amount to ₹5,000 per person, with special financial assistance provided to economically weaker families. Further, the government must institute a dedicated Kashmiri Pandit quota in higher education and government employment in central government departments and understanding to empower our youth and secure their future. Special welfare schemes, including comprehensive housing projects, must be launched for displaced families, including the urgent restoration of relief to Delhi-NCR relief holders who continue to face neglect.

Justice cannot be achieved without truth and accountability. We call for the immediate establishment of an independent Truth and Justice Commission to investigate the circumstances surrounding our displacement, identify those responsible for the violence against us, and ensure legal action against the perpetrators. Justice delayed is justice denied—our community has waited for over three decades, and we will no longer accept empty assurances. This commission must function with complete transparency and impartiality to expose the full truth of the Kashmiri Pandit genocide and to deliver the justice that our martyrs and survivors deserve.

We categorically demand that no decisions concerning the Kashmiri Pandit community be taken without our direct involvement. Our representatives must be included in all government bodies, committees, and policy-making forums that deal with our rehabilitation and welfare. Our lived experiences and aspirations must shape the policies that define our future—without our voice, no decision can truly address the depth of our grievances or the scope of our demands. The Kashmiri Pandit community has waited long enough. Our patience must not be mistaken for weakness, nor should our silence be interpreted as acquiescence.

The time for hollow promises is over. We demand tangible, legislative action to secure our rightful return, rehabilitation, and empowerment. Our history and our pain cannot be reduced to mere rhetoric—what we seek is real, transformative change backed by legal guarantees. The Government of India must rise to the occasion and fulfill its duty to the Kashmiri Pandit community by immediately implementing these demands.

We did not abandon our ancestral land—we were forced out by violence and hatred. Today, we seek nothing less than our rightful return, with dignity, security, and justice. The Kashmiri Pandit Conference (KPC), will continue its unwavering struggle for truth, justice, and the restoration of our rights. We call upon the Government of India to honor its constitutional and moral commitments to our community and to act decisively in meeting our legitimate demands.

Our martyrs did not die in vain. Their memory strengthens our resolve to reclaim our rightful place in the land of Kashyap. We will not rest until our community is restored to its ancestors land in valley,where we will live with honor, security, and dignity consolidated ly at one as a community—forever rooted in the soil of Kashmir.

[ KundanKashmiri]
Kashmir watcher & President Kashmiri Pandit Conference ( KPC)
Mobile No 8802257955
Email kundankashmiri@gnail.com