The Exodus of Kashmiri Pandits or Hindus is their migration from the Kashmir valley in Indian-administered Kashmir in the early 1990s as a result of growing insurgency violence. Eighty to ninety percent of the total population of 1.2 million to 1.4 million pandits evacuated or were forced to leave the valley; those who refused were executed. During the period of significant migration, the insurgency was led by a movement advocating for a secular and independent Kashmir, but there was also an increasing number of Islamic factions advocating for an Islamic state. Targeted assassinations of high-profile leaders created an atmosphere of dread and panic throughout the state. The migration was caused by the Indian government's absence from the state and the lack of safety assurances.

Exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir in 1989 was their seventh such exodus since the arrival of Islam in Kashmir in the fourteenth century. This was precipitated by the outbreak of Pakistan-sponsored insurgency across Kashmir Valley in 1989. The radical Islamists targeted Pandits - a minuscule community in Muslim dominated society creating enormous fear, panic and grave sense of insecurity. In the face of ruthless atrocities inflicted on them, the Pandits’ sole concern was ensuring their own physical safety and their resolve not to convert to Islam. Over 350,000 Kashmiri Pandits were forced to flee en masse leaving their home and hearth. This was the single largest forced displacement of people of a particular ethnicity after partition of India. Pandits’ travails did not end with the exodus. The obstructive and intimidating attitude of the State administration towards the Pandit refugees made their post-exodus existence even more miserable. The Government at the Centre too remained indifferent to their plight. This book traces the Pandits’ economic and political marginalization in the State over the past six decades and covers in detail the events that led to their eventual exodus. In the light of ethnic cleansing of Pandits from the Valley, the book also examines some critical issues so crucial to India’s survival as a multi-cultural, liberal and secular democracy.

In Senior Chemistry Laboratory of S P College, there was a Senior Gas Man by the name Ghulam Muhammad Bhat who lived in the author’s neighborhood and had family-type relations with the author’s family. From 1971 to 1976, whenever both met he would say (in Kashmiri though)," Lalit you did a very good thing that you went out for higher studies and you will settle down outside Srinagar. I am very happy for you and your parents and sisters because they too will shift. Never think of settling down in Srinagar because there will be terrible bloodshed in the Valley and the Pandits will be forced to leave the Valley, and the preparations have already started post-creation of Bangladesh. You are good and noble people and I can’t see any harm being done to you all, therefore never think of coming back". Ghulam Muhammad Bhat was a member of Jamait-e-Islami and he always became very emotional about the author. The last time the author met him was in 1988 and had lunch in his house, and again he thanked the author for not having settled in Srinagar!!!

This book discusses all the questions related to Kashmiri Pandits and their relation and current issues regarding their return to Kashmir. The book explores the importance of return of Kashmiri Pandits for Kashmir and both major Kashmiri communities, especially those who really want to return home, out of their own volition and for all right reasons. The book shows how to bring about a reasonable and realistic degree of practical and sustainable reconciliation between the two communities, whilst trying to make them stand in each other’s shoes, understand each other’s perspective and pain and then self-introspect sincerely, so that a bridge of mutual trust and acceptance is rebuilt between the two communities, which can then allow those Pandits who genuinely want to return cross over and be home.

The story of Kashmir and Kashmiri Pandits is a story of love and loss, of hope and despair, of pride and pain. It is a story that spans from the ancient times to the present day, from the golden age of Hindu civilization to the dark era of Islamic invasion, from the peaceful coexistence of different religions to the violent conflict of ideologies, from the prosperous and happy life in the valley to the tragic and forced exodus from their homeland. It is a story that needs to be told and heard, to understand the past and shape the future. It is a story that celebrates the spirit and resilience of Kashmiri Pandits, who have not given up on their dreams and aspirations, and who have not forgotten their roots and identity.The book is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn more about this fascinating community that has a unique connection with India’s most disputed region.

Contributed articles presented at the National Seminar on "Kashmiri Pandits: Looking Ahead" held on March 12, 2000; on various facets of the cultural, spiritual, and other aspects of life of Kashmiri Pandits.

This volume foregrounds some of the unknown or lesser-known incidents of xenophobia and genocide from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Rwanda. It critically analyses the cultural and structural contexts triggering these various forms of genocides and xenophobia, and situates them within modern histories of violence and human tribulations. The book discusses various non-Western case studies, which include the communal violence incited by anti-CAA protests in Delhi; the expulsion and displacement of Kashmiri Pandits; xenophobic attitudes against illegal immigrants in Assam; genocide in Sylhet during the Liberation War of Bangladesh; the 1994 genocide in Rwanda; and incidences of human rights violations across the world. A comprehensive and transdisciplinary text, the book will be useful for students and researchers of human geography, sociology, political science, social work, anthropology, colonialism and postcolonialism, nationalism, imperialism, human rights, and history.

The Book Arises Out Of A Seminar Held In 2001. Papers Collected In The Volume Cover A Wide Range Of Social, Cultural Scholastic And Artistic Aspirations Of Kasmiri Pandits - And The Topics Of Interest To Them. Quite A Few Relate To Kashmiri Pandits In Delhi. (8 Chapters - Figures.)

'Indian Defence Review' is a quarterly publication which summarises opinions and strategic responses on the sub-continent. In addition to defence and security analyses, each issue also includes regular features on aerospace trends, naval affairs and army force developments, including the latest arms transfer and news.