TAUSEEF AHMAD
SRINAGAR, Jan 19: Kashmiri Pandits living across different parts of India on Monday observed the 36th anniversary of Exodus Day, recalling the painful memories of their mass displacement from the Kashmir Valley in 1990 and reiterating their long-standing demand for a safe, dignified and permanent return to their ancestral homeland.
The day marks one of the darkest chapters in Kashmir’s contemporary history, when thousands of Kashmiri Pandit families were forced to flee their homes amid fear, targeted threats and violence. The community continues to describe the episode not as voluntary migration, but as a forcible exodus that uprooted them overnight from their cultural, social and emotional roots.
More than three decades later, while the Valley has witnessed significant political and security changes, members of the displaced community say the yearning to return to Kashmir remains alive. However, they stress that such a return can only materialise if the government ensures complete security, sustainable rehabilitation and long-term peace.
“Nobody wants to remain away from their homes,” said Opender Koul, a Kashmiri Pandit, while speaking to Kashmir Despatch. “People are interested in returning. It is always good to go back to your own environment, to your roots. But this decision is not in the hands of individuals or even the community alone. It is purely a government call. Safety must be ensured from all angles.”
Koul said that while emotional attachment to Kashmir is deeply ingrained among Pandits, fear and uncertainty continue to prevent large-scale return. “If there is fear, people will hesitate. The government must first ensure safety, proper rehabilitation and a sense of stability. Only then will families feel confident enough to come back,” he said.
Another member of the Pandit community echoed similar sentiments, emphasising that return would be a gradual process rather than a sudden movement. “Confidence-building is key. If ten families return and feel secure, they will call another ten. That is how resettlement happens. But the beginning must be strong, well-planned and secure,” he said.
Responding to recent remarks made by National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah, Koul said it is true that many Kashmiri Pandit families are now settled in Delhi, Jammu, Mumbai and even abroad, with younger generations pursuing education and employment opportunities outside Kashmir—much like Muslim families from the Valley.
“Children have to work. If jobs are not available in a place, people migrate. That is natural migration and happens everywhere,” he said. “But what happened in 1990 was entirely different. It was forcible displacement, and that is what makes it unfortunate and tragic.”
Koul acknowledged that government initiatives like employment under the Prime Minister’s package have provided some relief to a section of the community, but said a comprehensive and inclusive return and rehabilitation policy is still missing.
“We still have our homes here. Our memories, our culture, our identity are connected to this land. Kashmir is our motherland. If peace continues and the government creates the right atmosphere, we hope to be back in the Valley again,” he said.
At the same time, he cautioned against sweeping claims of complete return. “People are interested, yes. But no one can say that 100 percent of the community will return unless the government creates strong conditions of safety, stability and economic opportunity,” he added.
Earlier in the day, National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah, while speaking to the media, also commented on the issue, stating that many Kashmiri Pandits never left the Valley and continue to live there even today.
“There are many Pandits who stayed back. When others left, they did not leave. They are living comfortably in their villages,” Abdullah said.
He asserted that return is a natural right of the displaced community and questioned the narrative of restrictions. “Who is stopping them?” he asked, while simultaneously stressing that rehabilitation must be carried out with proper planning and sensitivity.
Abdullah also highlighted the long-term social and emotional impact of displacement on families. “They have settled outside, grown old there, and their children are studying in schools and universities. One day, they will return and live here, but it has to happen in a proper and organised manner,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, while reacting to the issue, urged the Centre to take swift and decisive steps towards the rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrant Pandits. He said the return of the displaced community is essential to restore the Valley’s traditional ethos of harmony, brotherhood and cultural diversity.
“The return of Kashmiri Pandits will restore the beauty and harmony of the Kashmir Valley,” the Deputy CM said, adding that inclusive coexistence has always been Kashmir’s strength and must be revived through concrete action.
As Kashmir observes another Exodus Day, the voices of displaced Pandits continue to underline a common message — exile was never a choice, and return remains a hope, but only with peace, dignity and security firmly in place.
