Two painful and shameful incidents have again exposed the hollow claims of peace, brotherhood, and communal harmony in Kashmir. These are not ordinary crimes, they are soul-shattering reminders of the unsafe, insensitive, and dangerous environment in which the Hindu community, particularly Kashmiri Pandits, continues to survive like strangers on their own land.

A Kashmiri Pandit girl, a non-migrant, living with her family in a village in District Pulwama, was eloped and converted by a local Muslim youth. This wasn’t just an act of love or personal choice, it was a betrayal of mutual trust, of inter-community respect, and of the shared co-existence that was once the pride of Kashmir. This KP family had chosen to stay back in the valley, holding on to centuries of faith, despite the bloodshed and mass displacement of their brethren. They believed that the neighbors they trusted would respect their daughters, their culture, and their dignity. But this incident has shattered that fragile thread of trust.

Why did the local civil society, elders, and religious organisations in Pulwama stay silent? Why didn’t anyone from the community raise a voice or try to prevent such a sensitive and disturbing act from happening? Is this the Kashmiriyat we are expected to believe in , where silence is louder than justice?

And if this wasn’t enough, in another horrifying incident, a Hindu woman tourist from Maharashtra was raped in a hotel at Pahalgam by a local Kashmiri Muslim, after forcibly entering her hotel room. This woman had come as a visitor, as a guest, not only to enjoy Kashmir’s beauty but to support local tourism, which provides employment and survival to thousands of local Muslim families. And what did she receive in return? Violation. Trauma. Betrayal. A brutal reminder of how unsafe and dangerous the valley can be for a Hindu woman — even as a tourist.

Who will answer for this? Where are the voices of condemnation from Kashmir’s so-called civil society, women’s groups, ulemas, or peace activists? Why this blanket silence again?

Let us ask honestly: How can the tiny, helpless minority of Kashmiri Pandits feel safe in such circumstances? If those who stayed back in hope of peace are humiliated and their daughters misled or trapped, what protection can the majority assure? Is there any space left for dignity, mutual respect, or moral responsibility?

These are not just isolated crimes. These are symptoms of a larger moral collapse — where the wrongdoings are covered in silence and the sufferers are left without a voice. We are repeatedly told about communal harmony, brotherhood, and peaceful co-existence in Kashmir. But when we see such events, we ask: What brotherhood? What peace? What respect for each other’s faith?

If such acts had happened in reverse — the outcry would have been thunderous. But because the victims are from the Hindu or KP community, there is no protest, no apology, no accountability.

This is not only unacceptable — this is heartbreaking. The Hindu society, and especially the KP community, cannot accept such targeted moral wounds. We are not against any religion, but we demand that such incidents must never be allowed to happen again. There must be moral courage and civil responsibility to condemn and prevent such dangerous trends.

We demand answers, accountability, and action. Enough of silence. Enough of betrayal in the name of false brotherhood.

[Kundan Kashmiri]
President – KPC
Human Rights Activist | Voice of Victimised Kashmiri Pandits
Email: kundankashmiri@gmail.com | Mobile: 880 2167955