Canadian Hindus stage protest, urge PM Trudeau to condemn Kashmiri Hindu Pandit's genocide

The members of the Indo-Canadian Kashmir Forum and Hindu Forum Canada on Tuesday organised a LED truck advertisement campaign to mark the Kashmiri Hindu genocide at the hands of Pakistan's terrorists on January 19, 1991. The LED truck that crossed several cities of Greater Toronto had billboards with messages: "Kashmiri Hindus Exist despite Pakistani Terror". Recalling the horrors faced by the community, the Canadian Hindus urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau-led government to lodge a motion in the parliament against Pakistan's terrorist attacks.  

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Kashmiri Hindu pandits in Jammu stage protest

Kashmiri Pandits on Tuesday launched a massive protest in front of the United Nations Military Observer's group office in Jammu to observe January 19 as "Exodus Day". According to sources, various Kashmiri Pandit organisations have approached the United Nations to get justice for the exodus which happened on January 19, 1991. This particular day is observed as the "black day" for Kashmiri Pandits as they were thrown out of their own homes in the Valley.

One of the Kashmiri Pandit activists which was holding a Tricolour at the protest said, "We are waiting to return back to our home, motherland. The government has to initiate a step and provide us with some security."

Stating that people from all across the world come to visit the Valley, the protestor said that the Kashmiri Pandits who are native to this place cannot step back in. Alleging that all the governments that came to power in J&K in the past 30 years always played politics, a Kashmiri Pandit said that no government ever paid attention to our needs or tried solving our issue. "They till now have not given any rights," he added. 

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What happened on Jan 19, 1991?

January 19, 1991, is known to be a black day for the Kashmiri Pandits because it was on this day that they were forced out under the threat of violence by extremists. At that time, the radicals had given the Pandits only 2 options if not for leaving: either to convert to Islam or suffer their wrath. 

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As a result, the Kashmiri Pandits were forced to seek refuge elsewhere in India. As of 2016, only 2,000 to 3,000 Kashmiri Hindus remained in Kashmir Valley compared to approximately 30,000 to 60,000 in 1990. Consequently, 19 January 1990 is widely known by Kashmiri Hindus as "Exodus Day", in memory of the Kashmiri Hindus who were either killed or forced out of Kashmir.

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(With ANI inputs)