FairPoint: Murshidabad violence revives trauma of 1990 Kashmiri Hindu exodus

New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) It's happening again before our very eyes. The only difference is that my story is 35 years old, and this person's is just a few days old," said Rajni Dhar, a Kashmiri Hindu, after watching videos of the wailing woman from Murshidabad.

She says her community's story is no different from what is now happening to Hindus in certain pockets of West Bengal. Targeted attacks, indifferent administration, apathetic police, and biased, uncaring politicians -- this was what she and her community endured in the late 1980s and 1990s, ultimately leading to the exodus of over 7,00,000 Hindus from Kashmir.

Thirty-five years later and more than 2,000 km away from Kashmir, hundreds of Hindu families have fled Murshidabad and other parts of West Bengal, where violent Muslim mobs attacked them. The violence erupted unexpectedly during protests against the Waqf Act.

For the Hindus of Murshidabad, it was a horrifying experience. Mobs ran riot, attacking homes, looting property, and setting fire to vehicles and buildings, including government establishments. The crowds were in a frenzy, uncontrolled and unchallenged.

The accounts of these forcibly displaced people are chilling and heart-wrenching. Homes and businesses -- some within metres of police stations -- were torched. SOS calls to the police and fire brigade allegedly went unanswered. Victims say they were left to fend for themselves, at the mercy of the mobs. All they could do was escape. Men, women, children, and the elderly ran for miles, crossing rivers to find safety.

For them, April 11 will remain etched in memory -- the day the state abandoned them. Even more painful, they say, is the apathy of those in power. The Chief Minister had no words for them, not even the time to meet them. But she did make time for those whose speeches allegedly incited the unrest. She met with them in Kolkata to express solidarity, but did nothing for the Hindus who had lost their homes, livelihoods, and trust in the system.

Back in the late 1980s, when terrorism began to rise in Kashmir, Hindus were targeted as part of a larger agenda -- to make Kashmir a Muslim-majority region that could accede to Pakistan. At the helm then was Farooq Abdullah, president of the National Conference and father of current leader Omar Abdullah. He remained passive as Hindus faced increasing violence: kidnappings, torture, threats, and harassment. Kashmiri Pandits were given three choices: convert, flee, or die. The chilling slogan was: "An Islamic Kashmir with Kashmiri Pandit women, without the KP men."

Those in power then -- both at the state and central levels -- stood mute and did nothing. Hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits were murdered, women were gang-raped and killed, homes looted, and temples desecrated. The police, victims allege, were non-cooperative, and in some cases even helped the terrorists. The political class and human rights groups went silent. The only option for the Hindus was to flee.

Being only 2 per cent of Jammu and Kashmir's population, Kashmiri Pandits were abandoned by the then-state government. The worst atrocities took place during Farooq Abdullah's tenure. When he resigned in January 1990, he left behind a Kashmir where the police force was compromised, the intelligence network shattered, and the majority of the administration gone rogue.

The situation in West Bengal may not be as dire, but it could escalate if steps are not taken now. Many victims in relief camps said they were warned by attackers: "This was just a trailer... the real movie begins soon." What does it indicate?

Two Hindus -- a father and son -- were brutally murdered to instil fear. Their businesses were torched. Rumours of poisoned water tanks in Hindu villages were spread to spark panic and force an exodus. It worked, and people abandoned their homes in fear.

Will the displaced Hindus of Murshidabad ever be able to return to their homes? It's a disturbing question, because the Bengal CM has done nothing to prevail upon the Muslim political and religious leaders, with whom she had a big meeting on April 16 to work for peace in these areas.

Instead, CM Mamata called the violence a conspiracy, naming the BSF (Border Security Force) and accusing it of allowing Bangladeshi miscreants to enter and incite unrest. As shocking as the accusation is, it may further embolden disruptive elements and affect the morale of the security forces.

"Thirty-five years have gone by, and we are still out of our homeland," says a tearful Dhar, recalling how her family was forced out of Srinagar in April 1990.

"People there have no remorse -- it was all about religious dominance. We lost our homes, jobs, property... and we've received no justice," she said.

The Murshidabad women's wails continue as they stare at their uncertain future, having lost everything in the attacks.

(Deepika Bhan can be reached at deepika.b@ians.in)

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