Now on, no Hindus will be driven out of Kashmir: Dattatreya Hosabale

This year the Navratri or Hindu New Year in the Chaitra month, known as Navareh in Kashmiri parlance, is special for displaced the Kashmiri Hindu community. For the first time, after three decades of displacement, the Kashmiri Hindu Displaced Society celebrated Navareh Utsav as a day of sacrifice and dedication, resolve and valour. The festival organised by Sanjeevani Sharda Kendra, in Jammu and Kashmir, celebrated April 12, as Tyag Divas, commemorating the supreme sacrifice of Shirya Bhatt on April 13 as Sankalp Diwas or Day of Reconciliation and concluded on April 14, to celebrate the victory of Emperor Lalitaditya’s as Shaurya Divas. The three-day long festival ended with an address of RSS Sarkaryavah Shri Dattatreya Hosabale. The Navareh Mahotsav was supported by more than 150 social and religious organisations of the Union Territory.

In his address, while wishing Navareh to Kashmiri Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir, at home and abroad, Shri Dattatreya Hosabale said that there is power in resolution and when the resolution is for Rashtra Dharma, for one’s duty towards his nation and society, its power increases a hundred times. He said that our ancestors fought against foreign invaders for centuries but they never gave up. Just as Shirya Bhatt ji had set the example of renunciation and dedication and Lalitaditya ji had set the example of shaurya/velour, it is also necessary to follow and learn from the teachings of their lives. While referring to the valour of Lalitaditya, Shri Dattatreya Hosabale, described how Lalitaditya, with the support of Bappa Rawal, defeated the Arab invaders.

The Sarkaryavah also talked about the sacrifice of Kashmiri Hindus in his address. He said that the way Kashmiri Hindus have protected religion through sacrifice, and survived in crisis for the past several decades, is exemplary in history. Tika Lal Taplu ji, Justice Neelkanth Ganju ji, Sarla Bhatt, Prem Nath Bhatt and many people like them have become victims of religious fanatics, their only crime was that they were born as Hindus and they lived in Kashmir.

To protect the Kashmiri Hindus, Guru Tegh Bahadur also sacrificed his own life. Kashmiri Hindus were displaced many times, in 1989-90 it was seventh displacement of Kashmiri Hindus and this would prove to be the last displacement. He said that he is confident that the Kashmiri Hindus’ resolve to celebrate the next Navareh in Kashmir will be meaningful.

 

Talking about the examples of Jews and Tibetans,Shri Dattatreya Hosabale said that when the Jews were driven from their motherland, they were scattered in many countries of the world, but every generation took a pledge that they would celebrate their festival in Israel and finally succeeded in the struggle. The Tibetan people also had to leave Tibet due to the invasion by China, but the Tibetans still take a vow to return back to Tibet one day. He said that the soldiers of the Indian Army, the paramilitary force and the Jammu and Kashmir Police also made sacrifices to stop the jihadi rage in Jammu and Kashmir, we should also remember them.

Discussing the current political scenario and developments in Jammu Kashmir, Shri Hosabale said that the removal of Articles 370 and 35-A are a milestone for the people of Union Territory. For the development of Jammu and Kashmir the Government has been taking up projects, which were pending for many years. This achievement is commendable.

Vice-President of Sanjeevani Sharda Centre Shri Avtar Krishna thanked all organisations that contributed to Navareh Mahotsav 2021. He said the Sarkaryavah’s exhortation has strengthened the confidence of Kashmiri Hindus that the whole of India and the world stands with Kashmiri Hindu Society.