The pursuit of unravelling the truth about Kashmiri Pandits that we were on,
when it concluded,
taking all the facts into consideration
and sensitively understanding the core of their pain,
we made 'The Kashmir Files' film.
The purpose was to make a film
that represented people.
People's film.
We dedicated this film to you all
and you received it with great love.
But what happened as a result of the truth coming out?
Did it make any difference to the Pandits?
Did justice happen?
What does justice mean after all?
We commonly believe that justice exists only within the legal purview.
That according to us is the only definition of justice.
But that is not true.
Justice begins with us.
The first step of justice is to accept
that people have faced injustice!
We had to fight our battle with our own people.
Everybody knows about Rwandan genocide.
Everybody knows about Rohingya genocide.
But our clan of 500,000 people
that was targeted because of its faith in Kashmir...
This was called a migration.
The definition of genocide according the United Nations
has 5 criteria.
The first is
bodily harm to any group.
My aunt's brother came down.
They shot him first.
Then his wife came to see what's going on.
She came down, they shot her.
Then my aunty came down, they shot her.
Then my uncle came down, they shot him.
The second criterion is
creating circumstances for a group for destruction.
Systematically, teams of
looters came
and they were like specialized looters.
They took the furniture away
then systematic team of looters came
they even took out the wiring out of the house.
They were like copper thieves.
Systematic looters of,
plumbing looters were separate.
So their team would go and take out all the taps and showers
pipes and everything, whatever they could
get their hands on... geysers,
in all the Kashmiri Hindu houses which were vacant.
Then after a year
some of them even took the windows out,
wood, then the roofs
ultimately when nothing was left, they burned the house.
- So that nobody .... - No trace of...
No trace and nobody could come back.
The third criterion is that
forcibly creating an environment for them to leave their place.
Our verandah had a gate.
A notice was put up
signed by the commander of JKLF.
It was very well planned.
It said we had to vacate the house in 48 hours
or you'll find your dead bodies in your own house.
The fourth is children.
When it impacts the children of the community...
We were unsure of income
so we couldn't decide whether to bring the second child or not
How would we raise it?
For a parent...
we did not let that child come.
This is killing me many times.
I killed a child.
We meet all four criteria,
when all you need is to meet
one criterion to acknowledge this as genocide.
It was a full-fledged genocide.
United Nations' definition
of genocide convention has no number game.
The ones who believe in number game saying that millions
should be killed to be
acknowledged as genocide are wrong.
Why is it important for this to be recognized?
When Rwandan genocide got international attention,
laws were made.
When this genocide will come to light,
laws will be made to stop this from happening in the future.
And the story doesn't end here!
They faced genocide once again
and it was doesn't done by Araqi or the terrorists or the state.
But it was done by
us and you and you and all of you!
When we erased them from our hearts and minds.
And this was the real genocide.
After the release of The Kashmir Files,
people accepted
that Kashmiri Pandits did face genocide.
Their plight was discussed internationally.
For the first time, people took note of them
and accepted that Kashmiri Pandits
are indigenous part of this country.
It feels as if Kashmiri Pandits
came before the world
and poured their hearts out
revealing how the place called heaven on earth
was turned into a living hell for them.
The film shows what wasn't taught in schools
and colleges. Youths should watch it
and understand the history of Kashmir
which remains hidden.
Kashmiri Pandits have suffered so much. I wouldn't
have known the pain they've gone through
if I wouldn't have watched this.
Hi, I'm Kael
And I'm from Laos
and I'm so sorry for what you guys have gone through.
The government should come forward and relocate the Kashmiri Pandits.
That's my only request to the government.
Be part of this community and actually, understand
what has been going on that hasn't been unveiled.
To see that, is just mind boggling.
Like I have first heard about this from some friends
who are Kashmiri Pandits
and some times I used to believe them and sometimes
I thought maybe it is a propaganda but
the fact that everything is fact and not fiction
is unnerving.
Just like shown in this that we are all guilty
I feel all of us are, including me,
each and every Indian is guilty,
who never realized
what the pain of Kashmiri Pandits must have been for so many years.
We've learned about all these terrible things that have happened to the other groups.
Why was this something that was,
so excluded from our learning?
I've been to Rwanda,
I've been to Somalia
I've been to Afghanistan
and to see that captured, because we don't cover that
part of the world very well.
The media has not covered it. We've ignored it largely.
To see it captured
in such a vivid way that really
hit my heart because
as a person who has travelled the world and seen lot of people suffer,
that's the story that's been untold.
3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14, 15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24
The release of the film The Kashmir Files,
has led to growing awareness against terrorism in Kashmir.
Yasin Malik was arrested in May 2022.
He has confessed to the crimes of terrorism before the court.
Bitta Karate was also arrested
and is under going the trial.
Jammu and Kashmir High Court has
reopened the 2003 Nadimarg Massacre case,
that was closed shut
10 years ago.
Now, even a single shootout in Kashmir
becomes instant international news.
People raise their voices against it
and pressurize the government to act.
For 33 years, terrorism flourished in Kashmir, in the darkness of ignorance.
People's stand against it is a sign of victory for humanity.
This was the second step of justice.
We understood other things about Kashmir too,
about how terrorism has adversely affected the society there.
This story of Kashmir
has terrorism, politics,
human rights' agencies,
and a plethora of vested interests.
The only thing missing is the common man of Kashmir.
Ask any taxi driver, shikara owner
or a waiter in hotels,
about the current conditions of Kashmir.
They all say only one thing,
that there's abject poverty.
If you ask them, that you talk of freedom...
if you get freedom,
how will you overcome poverty?
They have no answer.
If you ask them,
which country will help them?
Afghanistan, Pakistan or China?
They do not know the answer.
If you ask them,
who would they be better off with?
They all say,
it would be wise to be with India.
If you ask them,
what exactly is the problem after all?
They all say unanimously
that all our money
has been stolen by the people of Gupkar Road.
We are left penniless even today.
Kashmir's economy has been tourism based,
which was stalled for good.
So, the Kahwa sellers,
Pashmina sellers,
Kashmiri embroiders,
were struggling to make ends meet.
Now, tourism has been restored.
People have faith that Kashmir is becoming safe again.
Highest number of tourists visited there last year!
Another huge change has happened there.
Until now, they had no provisions for women and children's rights there.
But now the Women and Child Welfare ministry is active there,
which wasn't the case earlier.
Also, there was no Minorities Commission in place earlier.
Now it is applicable.
Let's hope we'll see the good results of this in the future.
India is now focused on Kashmir.
Although slowly and gradually,
but Kashmir is on the path of restoration.
It is happening.
Few things happen, but are hard to see.
"O snow fall please"
"O brother come greet us"
Impossible
Impossible takes time
but you must, you must
always keep hope.
"Nightingales sing praises of our country of flowers"
While researching the plight of Kashmiri Pandits
and their struggles,
I understood something.
There are two ways to counter violence.
One, retaliation with violence
or knowledge.
Kashmiri Pandits didn't retaliate with violence
but taught their children
about humanity through knowledge.
This is why, no matter where Kashmiri Pandits are,
they always spread wisdom.
You know little kids there.
They are innocent like you.
- Yes. - Back in Kashmir
they pelt stones or bombs.
- They don't even study. - Certainly not.
What can we do to help them be wise like you?
What is that we have to give them?
If they're watching this,
I'd like to tell them,
just once
give 'varak' and 'kalam' a chance.
What's varak?
Page.
Paper?
Paper and kalam is pen.
Give it a try and see its impact.
You'll see the difference between Jihad and education.
Whether Kashmir Pandits will be able to
relocate to their homeland or not, we will know with time.
But the world now knows of their pain.
People have acknowledged their plight.
And we are consoled that, having found expression of their pain,
they are on the path of healing.
Often people applaud us
for this incredible success.
But we believe that
we didn't accomplish this incredible task.
We were mere instruments.
We just became the medium.
This is the blessing of Goddess Saraswati.
May be,
this is the beginning of 'Right to Justice'
Truth finally triumphed.
Truth always wins.
"We shall see"
"We shall see for sure"
"We shall see"
"The day that has been promised"
"We shall see"
That is written in the eternal book of destiny."
"We shall see"
"It is inevitable we too shall see"
"We shall see"
"When the mountains of oppression and cruelty"
"We'll float away like carded wool"
"Underneath our feet - we the governed"
"the ground will echo like a thumping heartbeat"
"And the sky over the heads of the rulers"
"Will echo with the sound of thunder"
"We shall see"
"It is inevitable we too shall see"
"We shall see"