Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday strongly condemned attempts to trivialise or distort the 1990 exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, calling it one of the most painful human tragedies of independent India.
Speaking at a book launch in Jammu, the LG said labelling the genocide and forced displacement as “propaganda” amounted to a second genocide, the killing of truth, memory and justice.
Addressing a gathering at the launch of Professor Ashok Kaul’s book Kashmir: Nativity Regained, Manoj Sinha said the suffering of Kashmiri Pandits was not only suppressed for decades but was also deliberately misrepresented.
“When the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits was exposed, some elements linked to a particular ecosystem dared to call it propaganda. By doing so, they carried out a second genocide an attempt to murder truth itself,” Sinha said.
He asserted that such narrative manipulation inflicted deep wounds on the victims by denying them recognition, empathy and justice.
Describing the events of 1989-90 as a deep civilisational wound, the Lieutenant Governor said the forced exodus under terror threats uprooted families from their ancestral homes, temples and cultural roots.
“The pain is so deep that even time’s balm has not reduced it. Families were uprooted like trees from their own soil,” he said, adding that the genocide was not merely a political episode but a human catastrophe where trust collapsed and silence prevailed.
Sinha noted that terrorism in Kashmir targeted not just individuals but entire generations. “Terrorists sowed fear in the eyes of innocent children. They attacked not only people, but the soul of an entire civilisation,” he remarked.
The LG further stated that the violence was accompanied by a breakdown of social bonds, where neighbours turned silent and familiar faces became complicit through inaction.
He described the Kashmiri Pandit exodus as a genocide of faith, memory and coexistence, stressing that both Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims suffered immensely due to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.
Praising Professor Kaul’s work, Sinha said Kashmir: Nativity Regained was more than a literary effort it was a voice against decades of enforced silence.
“This book is not just a story. It is reality. It is a voice against the long silence that has shadowed our collective conscience,” he said.
Through characters like Mohan and Hasan, the book captures the trauma of leaving behind homes, villages, gardens and temples, a farewell that was never voluntary, the LG observed.
Sinha said the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 marked a decisive turning point for Jammu and Kashmir.
“That day, the call of abandoned homes was heard again. A belief was born that the new generation can now touch those roots without fear,” he said, reiterating that the return of Kashmiri Pandits with dignity and security remains a commitment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He also highlighted the launch of the Kashmiri Migrant Web Portal in 2021, aimed at reclaiming encroached properties and facilitating rehabilitation.
Issuing a strong warning, the Lieutenant Governor said the administration would dismantle the entire terror ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Every link of terrorism will be exposed. Every individual associated with terror will be brought to justice. Those who betray the nation will face punishment so severe that generations will tremble,” he said.
He emphasised that ordinary citizens no longer need to live in fear and urged the younger generation to remember the atrocities committed during that dark phase of history.
Calling the displacement of Kashmiri Pandits one of the world’s most heartbreaking tragedies, Sinha said the nation must ensure it is not buried under political noise or collective amnesia.
“Justice cannot come without remembrance,” he said, saluting the resilience of displaced families who preserved their culture and identity through decades of exile.
“This is the time of reconstruction. Even after the darkest night, the sun will rise again,” the Lieutenant Governor added.
