India's Most Chilling Historical Event: The Kashmir Exodus

For centuries, Kashmir was home to Muslims and Hindus alike. Despite religious differences, historic discrimination, and episodes of violence, members of both faiths shared a common land, language, and culture there. This common identity, known as Kashmiriyat, united Kashmir’s residents with a sense of community and loyalty.

In 1989, this unity was shattered with the outbreak of an insurgency that rages to this day. A wave of monstrous killings and brutal repression created the conditions for a massive exodus of nearly all of Kashmir’s Hindus.

Today on A Day In History, we’ll discover what led to this mass movement of people. We’ll see how the Kashmir Valley unravelled and descended into violence, how public lynchings and sexual violence become the norm, and why this exodus of over 100,000 people is so easily forgotten. If that sounds interesting to you, then remember to leave a like on this video and subscribe to our channel for more interesting historical topics.

Kashmir

When India and Pakistan gained independence in August 1947, the fate of the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir was undecided. Kashmir’s Muslim majority were inclined to Pakistan but the Hindu authorities leaned towards India. A Muslim rebellion broke out with assistance from Pakistan, prompting the Maharaja to ask for Indian intervention in exchange for joining India. The First Kashmir War set the tone for Indo-Pakistani relations and when it ended in January 1949, it left Kashmir divided between the two nations.

The majority of Kashmir remained Muslim under Indian rule, but within this new democratic structure they were able to wield power instead of the Hindu minority. Muslims dominated politics, economics, and society in post-1947 Kashmir while Hindus faced mounting discrimination. Hindus had their land taken and redistributed, were denied promotions and jobs, and had little in the way of political power. Meanwhile, Kashmir’s Muslims were partial towards Pakistan which led to tension with Indian authorities and security forces, who reacted harshly to any whispers of Kashmiri separatism and passed oppressive laws to counter it.

In time, Islamic militancy grew in the valley.. The Jamaat-e-Islami group worked its influence through schools, mosques, and political activism to encourage separatist and anti-India feeling in Kashmir. Meanwhile Pakistan was eager to support this - after all, India had helped Bangladesh break away in 1971 and it was eager to repay the favor by splitting off a piece of India. Pakistan began funding and arming militant groups in Kashmir and encouraging violence, most notably the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF).

#indianhistory #kashmirexodus #indvspak #history

Sources:
Shalha Hussain, Kashmir in the Aftermath of Partition, (2021)

Jammu Kashmir Sahayata Samiti, Genocide of Hindus in Kashmir, (1991)

Colonel Tej K. Tikoo, Kashmir: Its Aborigines and Their Exodus, (2013)

Sumatra Bose, Kashmir at the Crossroads: Inside a 21st-Century Conflict, (2021)

Copyright © 2023 A Day In History. All rights reserved.

[saleelapatkar]

This is not the first genocide. The Kashmiri hindus mention 7 exoduses.

[rishabhawani]

i am a kashmiri pandit
my ancestors left the village and settled down in himachal and uttarakhand long time ago as these things were happening for past 15 centuries
still my men are there in jammu while the kashmir ones gets killed or converted

[srikanthshastry]

'Convert or die'
How many times has the world heard this statement!

[elcesar]

Yazidis genocide, Assyrians, armenians, hindus, christians Pakistan, iran women revolution. Bro so much conflict and there is a common denominator

[Navrix]

It was a genocide not a exodus. Call it what it was.

[Im_Z_]

10 hindus were killed in Jammu 2 days ago .

[Yourdaddy-ic]

Meanwhile those so called educated people want us to forget this horrible incident.

[sammy]

just 2 days ago, there was yet again a terror attack on hindu pilgrms, they attacked their bus....
monsters

[nishantr.]

As a Kashmiri pandit who was born in 1990 at the time of this genocide I just want to thank you for bringing light to this issue. People gloss over these atrocities because it conflicts with their personal identity but we are nothing without learning from history so I appreciate what you've done with this video.

My parents and community lost everything, especially our identity with what is now a worldwide diaspora of Kashmiri pandits. I can only hope that those who contributed and benefitted from this genocide are held accountable and given the highest form of punishment.

[YoGrannyGotNoKnees]

It is actually crazy that hindus themselves didnt know much about this genocide until a movie was made on it.

[Vajrasattvam]

The worst thing is that whenever the Kashmir issue is discussed in foreign media, and islamic media tries to paint a case of muslims being oppressed, they very conveniently forget the slaughter of Kashmiri hindus.Even just a few days ago, a bus carrying hindu pilgrims was blown up. People love to scream about the military violence against Kashmiris, but they forget that the Kashmiris refused any gesture of peace till now. You can't treat Jihadis with kindness.( And the common Kashmiris were very much involved. Trust me. My family was there)

[rcc]

My mothers ex colleague, a Hindu Pandit had to flee overnight on a scooter with her husband disguised as muslims. They got information that the husbands name had come up on a hit list in the local mosque. They left everything including their just newly constructed house.
They could never go back again. This ethnic cleaning did not happen in far away Africa etc, it was our own backyard.

[tmdimplementer]

Historically Kashmir has remain Hindu Heritage ( named after Sage Kashyap) it was islamic invasion which changed the Demographics of Kashmir until Hindu Dogras recaptured it.

[Spoidormon]

Kashmir was home to Hindu Saints only before Islamic invasions, NOT Muslims. Kashmir is named after Sage Kashyap. Islam never came peacefully in Kashmir. There were 7 not 1 massacre and exodus Hindus from Kashmir.

[Haero]

This is whatever happens when Islamists get to power

[Newsports]

Thank you for the video.
Can you make video on
1. Razakar of Hyderabad and their role in killing of Hindus
2. Moplah massacre

[Whateverguy]

Wow, this is honest. Did not expect this from non- indians, no offense

[dineshmohanlal]

Indias majority Hindu population should stand together and support the return of the Kashmiri Pandits to their ancestral Kashmir land as the rightful majority.
Stand up . . . Stand united

[RohitSharma-ohqm]

Dear Muslims, is this video propaganda too?😂

[smartian]

Kashmir has and will belong to India, there will be a day when the Kashmiriyats will be living in harmony once again.