On the solemn occasion of the 36th Martyrdom Day of Pt. Prem Nath Bhat, Advocate on December 27, 2025, we pay our respectful homage to the departed great soul of the Kashmir valley. He was brutally killed by the Islamic terrorists in Anantnag-Kashmir on December 27, 1989 during the daytime when he was on his way from the District court to his home. His martyrdom represents his supreme sacrifice for his noble ideals, ideological commitment and dedication towards the nationalist cause.
His targeted killing by the terrorists followed the selective killings of Adv. Tikalal Tapiloo and Neelkanth Ganjoo, top BJP and Hindu leader in Kashmir and a retired session judge respectively. The killing of P.N.Bhat forced the Hindu miniscule minority community in Kashmir to think in terms of the unfortunate mass-exodus from the Kashmir valley consequent upon complete breakdown of the law and order machinery in Kashmir province and the governments’ reluctance and colossal failure to protect the minority community in the valley from the selected terror onslaught upon it.
P.N.Bhat, who was an embodiment of consistent struggle for the social cause, was an important ideologue of RSS in Kashmir. He got into touch with the nationalist organisation during the 1940s when he was a college student. He was born in 1932 in a middle class family of Bhats of Anantnag town. He got his schooling in Anantnag and joined Amar Singh College and S.P.College in Srinagar for further studies. After his graduation, he did his LLB from Aligarh Muslim University and joined the practice of law in the Kashmir valley as an advocate.
The martyrdom day of Bhat Saheb (who was popularly known as such by the people) which falls on December 27 is observed every year as the ‘Chetana-Divas’ in Jammu, the winter capital of the Jammu & Kashmir state (now UT). This annual programme is organised by the Pt. Prem Nath Bhat Memorial Trust over the last 34 years without a break. People from different walks of life as well as the the prominent dignitaries join this much awaited function every year in order to pay their rich tributes to the departed soul.
This author came to know Adv. P.N.Bhat in July 1974 at Nagdandi-Achabal, Kashmir when the great Eknath Ranade, the founder of the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Kanyakumari and Vivekananda Kendra took me from Srinagar along with to Nagdandi Ashram. In fact, Ranade ji introduced me to Bhat Sahib. I remember when he told me, “keep meeting Bhat Ji, he is the fountainhead of Sangha-Vichardhara”. He had a great impression of Bhat sahib in his mind and would on occasions express his inner feelings among the activists with pride.
The graceful face with a beautiful Tilak on his forehead, Bhat sahib impressed me with his five minute talk. P.N.Bhat had put a great mental, physical, organisational, financial and also his own spiritual investment into the Nagdandi Ashram. It was his dream project along with other such projects in the Kashmir valley and particularly in the Anantnag district. The other projects included Nagbal-Anantnag, Gosaingund, Gautamnag and Lok-Bhawan etc.
His association with the RSS, All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference, Vivekananda Kendra, Hindu Youth Forum (Hindu Yuvak Forum) and some other important and key social and nationalist organisations was his life mission. For his whole life, he used to organise the members of his community in Kashmir valley and drive them to the objectives of his nationalist mission in Kashmir valley. Though his connections and public relations were widespread throughout the valley, his focus was surely on South Kashmir comprising the districts namely Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian. He had developed a great network in South Kashmir and had virtually made deep inroads through his direct personal connections with all village level activists among the Hindu community. He was truly a source of strength for all; and people would bank upon his guidance, advice and suggestions.
As a prolific speaker in languages like Kashmiri, Hindi, English and Urdu, he would make a scintillating impact on the minds of the people. People in general would take his word for granted. He had earned respect due to his sincere life-long work among the people. His writings particularly in some of the state newspapers and even in the national media were the most talked about among the activists connected with Kashmir valley. He was a regular contributor to Organiser, New Delhi, Daily Excelsior, Jammu and Martand, Srinagar. He was an intellectual connection of the nationalist cause in Kashmir valley with the rest of India through his writings and intimate meetings with the people who would matter at the national level.
His article titled “It needs one more Sardar to put Kashmir right…” was a big hit at the national level. (Surprisingly, it came out to be true on August 5-6, 2019, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister created a new history by scrapping Article 35A and 370 and nullified the separate constitution, separate flag and the special status of the J&K State.) Besides this, the government with the approval of the Parliament reorganised the state into two Union Territories; Ladakh without the Legislative Assembly and J&K with the Assembly. This fructified the stand of Bhat Sahib to a large extent.
People used to give his example while debating about professional integrity, commitment to duty, steadfastness and straight talk. His acumen to keep hopes alive among the community members was his natural asset. He played a key role during his student days as well when he was a student of college and AMU and was the main activist responsible for organising other activists committed to the nationalist and community cause in the capacity of main organizer along with Adv. Tika Lal Taploo. He was quite successful as an advocate while attending to his court duties.
When the Hindu temples and shrines were attacked in February 1986 under a pre-planned ‘pogrom’ chalked-out by the Islamic fundamentalist and radical forces in Kashmir followed by the burning of properties belonging to the Hindu community and their places of worship in the entire Kashmir valley, he took a leading role along with the valley based leadership of RSS in organising meaningful protests against them. He arranged bringing succor to the doorsteps of the victims and made it sure that the pain of the minority Hindu community in Kashmir was brought to the notice of the national leadership at the Centre comprising both the government as well as the opposition.
He took an affront with the active radical elements in Kashmir represented by Qazi Nissar and others from the Jamaat-e-Islami for what they did to the Kashmiri Pandit community-the indigenous people of Kashmir, during the mob-attacks orchestrated to weaken their resolve to live and exist in the valley of Kashmir as a formidable community. It was a trial base on behalf of the Islamic fundamentalist forces to ignite the inferno of terrorism in Kashmir valley eventually. He became the target in the eyes of the anti-Hindu forces in the entire Jammu and Kashmir state and was publicly named in the rallies, programmes and religious functions organised by the radical Islamic elements active particularly in the Anantnag district.
Adv. P.N.Bhat didn’t budge even an inch from his position and made every effort to bring to the notice of the government of India the horrible situation of Kashmir valley. He got full support from the higher ups of the organisation both within and outside the valley in his endeavour. Consequently due to the intervention of the top BJP leaders and also of some key Congress leaders at the Centre, the government of India headed by the then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi was forced to dismiss the Gulshah government in Jammu and Kashmir and the Governor’s rule was declared in the state with Jagmohan taking over the direct command of the situation as the Governor of the state in March 1986.
The situation worsened after the 1986 episode; terrorism and fundamentalism coupled with the breakdown of law and order put the miniscule minority community of Hindus in Kashmir valley under a siege of the radical elements. The connivance of the state government and the silence of the government of India made Kashmir a hell for the Hindus of Kashmir beyond the period 1986. Those who stood like a rock against this ‘pogrom’ aimed at the miniscule minority community in the valley included the towering personalities like Tikalal Taploo, Amarnath Vaishnavi, P.N.Bhat, Harji Lal Jad and Hira Lal Chatta besides others. The genocidal action was on with the aim of ethnic cleansing in the valley and the signals were quite alarming.
Some important meetings were held in Jammu in November, 1989 after the killings of Tikalal Taploo and Neelkanth Ganjoo, judge. The situation prevailing in Kashmir was discussed threadbare. It was attended by all prominent leaders and activists of RSS and other Hindu organisations active in the valley. Threat perceptions to the prominent people were also discussed along with the future plan of action. Suggestions were made to ask the leadership to take some time and delay their going back to the valley. Bhat Sahib was concerned about his people back in the valley and didn’t agree with the proposal. He instead went ahead with his plan and reached Anantnag. After one month of this meeting, he was made a target by the JKLF terrorists and shot dead and thus silenced his voice. This shook the confidence of the people and even mourning was not allowed by the fundamentalist elements on his 10th day.
Adv. P.N.Bhat’s bloodthirsty killing created a vacuum. This vacuum created by his martyrdom remained unfilled all these more than three decades. His memories for all and everyone are like treasures which, this author observed, everyone has love with and would like to preserve. He would usually conclude his speech with an Upanishadic verse which was also often quoted by Swami Vivekananda as well. It is: “Utishthit, Jagrit…..Prapya vara nibodhata”, meaning Arise & Awake, Stop not till the goal is realized….!
