Kashmiri Pandits leave Shopian village, point to fear after killing

For decades, the Muslims and Kashmiri Hindus, locally known as Pandits, lived together in Chowdhary Gund. When militancy erupted in the Valley, only two of the 12 Hindu families in Chowdhary Gund left for Jammu. The others remained behind.

But, in the days since October 18, when suspected militants gunned down Puran Krishan Bhat, a Kashmiri Pandit, outside his house in the village, the 10 families have all left for Jammu.

“They told us that they are living in fear and would leave for Jammu,” said a villager, who didn’t want to be named. “We wanted to stop them, but couldn’t. We know it is not easy for them to live here under such circumstances. We hope they will return sometime later”.

When militancy erupted, only two of the 12 Pandit families in the village had left. Others had stayed put. (Express photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

It is harvest time in Kashmir and the men are out in the orchards. The Kashmiri Pandit families have left, but they asked their Muslim neighbours to look after their orchards.

“They have left but the camaraderie between us is still there,” said Salam. “Even today, the Muslim neighbours are tending to their orchards. Some are harvesting their fruits, while others are pruning their trees. When they left, they entrusted this job to us,” he said.

The Pandits too talk of this camaraderie. “Words can’t describe the scene when we left the village. The men and women lined up outside our house, they were weeping,” said Trilok Chand, who is among those who have moved to Jammu. “We left everything behind with our neighbours. We asked them to sell our (apple) produce,” he said, speaking to The Indian Express on the phone from Jammu.

Paramilitary personnel deployed outside the village temple said the Hindu families left one after the other, over the last three days. “There was a lone woman staying here. She too left for Jammu this morning,” said a security person.

The Shopian district administration has denied that the Hindu families left the Valley out of fear. “Many families migrate after harvesting is over, due to the onset of winter,” it said in a statement on Wednesday.

But, Jawahar Lal, whose family has also moved to Jammu, said they left the village out of fear. “This (killing of Bhat) was the first such incident in our village in 32 years. It created a lot of fear. We didn’t want to leave, but what else could we have done. We have reached Jammu and are putting up here and there,” he said.

Trilok Chand too said they decided to leave after Bhat was killed. “We can’t blame our neighbours, we lived with them like brothers. But there was fear after the killing. So we decided to leave. We hope to return soon,” he said.

Their Muslim neighbours too blame the killing. “Some of them would leave for Jammu in winter, especially those who are old and weak. But the others would remain here. This time, they have all left the village,” said a woman.