Refugees in their Homeland for past 20 years

Kashmiri pandits stage protest against militancy 

Courtesy:www.keralaonline.com

New Delhi, Monday 14 September 2009: Around 50 Kashmiri pandits today tonsured their heads here as a mark of protest on the 20th anniversary of the first killing of a community member by separatists in Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted to their mass exodus from the state.

On this day 20 years ago, a lawyer Tika Lal Taploo was killed by separatists outside his residence in Srinagar, four months before the community members were forced to leave the valley in the height of militancy.

“As mark of protest against apathy towards us and to mark the anniversary, a number of Kashmiri Pandits tonsured their heads and offered prayers for thousands of unfortunate victims,” Kamal Hak, spokesperson of Panun Kashmir, said.

Around ten people tonsured their heads at the Yamuna banks while another 40 protested at Jantar Mantar.

According to estimates, around 80,000 Kashmiri Pandits are presently living in the national capital after they had to leave Kashmir after the militancy erupted.

 

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