On 14 April 1990, Sarla Bhatt was gang-raped and murdered. Her body was found on the roadside at Lal Bazar Road, Srinagar. Her clothes were not returned to the family by police. Working as nurse in Medical Institute in Saura, Srinagar, she was witness to terror activities in the institute, hence targeted. Now, nearly 35 years later, there is hope that Sarla Bhat’s aatman and her family will finally see a closure of the trauma. However, this bestial brutality was not an isolated incident.
Background
1980-1990 is an unforgettable period of ethnic cleansing of Hindus and Sikh women and men. Even children were not spared, leading to the mass exodus of hundreds of thousands of people from their homeland where they lived since eons. It was not a sudden event of 1990, but it began much earlier as Ratan Sharda notes in his book, Conflict Resolution - The RSS Way.
The first visible signs appeared on 7 April 1986, when reports in newspapers warned that a large number of Hindus might migrate out of Kashmir Valley. RSS was one of the earliest to raise the red flag. On 24 April 1986, the then Union Home Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao in Rajiv Gandhi government admitted to the grimness of the situation in the Rajya Sabha.
State elections were held under Congress-NC alliance in March 1987. Farooq became CM with 66 seats with the blessings of Rajiv Gandhi. Governor Jagmohan, an appointee of Rajiv Gandhi, writes in his book ‘My Frozen Turbulence in Kashmir,’ “Any suggestion or warning [to Rajiv Gandhi] was either smiled away or lulled with false assurance. Rajiv’s man in the Valley, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, was empty both in beliefs and action. And it was this emptiness that was as disastrous as the indifference of the ruling clique at New Delhi.”
On 23 August 1988, another question was raised in the Rajya Sabha about Kashmiri Hindus moving to various States. Rajiv Gandhi and Farooq Abdullah still ruled the roost. Home Minister, Buta Singh, in a brazen and cynical statement, stated that Kashmiri Pandits like other Indians were moving to other parts of the country in search of better economic prospects.
In a cynical move 70 dangerous terrorists were released between July and December 1989 with the blessings of the NC-Congress government, and they became fully active again. Eventually, by the time the State government was dismissed, the situation had deteriorated to such an extent that it became impossible to bring it under control.
On 1 August 1991, Minister of State for Home, M.M. Jacob under P V Narasimha Rao government, informed the Lok Sabha that by June 1991, more than 72,000 Hindu families had migrated from the Kashmir Valley to Jammu and Delhi. Assuming a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 10 members per family, this number can be anywhere between 360,000 to 720,000. Actual numbers, not registered with government, could be much bigger. One must remember that Jagmohan was reappointed as the governor on 19 Jan 1990, J&K was already lost to terrorists and big exodus of Kashmiri Hindus happened the same night amid loud speaker announcements of “Raliv, Chaliv, Galiv (Convert, Go or Die). What could he have done within 12 hours, when his writ did not run beyond Raj Bhavan; none beyond handful of officers there could be trusted?
In the following years, we know how separatists were kept in good humour by the governments paying them off regularly. A self-declared killer was even entertained at home by the Prime Minister of India. Naturally, Kashmiri Hindus never got justice. Even Supreme Court did not entertain their complaints taking inhuman line that the cases of atrocities and killings were time barred! Humanity lost that day.
As in case of Sikh massacre of 1984, it was Modi government that took upon itself to deliver justice. The most feted terrorists and separatists are rotting in jail now. Nullification of Article 370 and 35A, and intelligent policies have brought near normalcy to Jammu & Kashmir after four decades. We are sure that one day the Kashmiri Hindus who wish to return back to their land or wish to take back their homes will find their wishes fulfilled. But for that a few things need attention.
Possible Path of Peaceful Reconciliation
During so-called secular regimes any solution or discussion for bringing normalcy to Kashmir valley meant only talking to dominant Sunni Kashmiri Muslims. Other Muslims, and, of course, Kashmiri or even Jammu Hindus were never invited to the table, nor were their views taken into account. There was an over dependance on Kashmiri bureaucracy in formulating policies and running the government. Kashmiri Hindus believe, with their experience, that the situation has not changed much.
The filing of domicile certificates, and getting voting rights was deliberated made so complex that it took some shouting and nudging from organisations like Jammu Kashmir Study Centre to make it simpler. Due to this, Kashmiri Hindus did not take part in this exercise whole heartedly. For this, they were blamed, not the bureaucratic stranglehold. Voting remained pitiably low. BJP government did not seem to have noted it or take action to see this critical process through.
On the issue of returning to the valley, Kashmiri Hindus have not spoken in one voice. Some wish to return to their ancestral homes with responsibility of security totally on the governments, they won’t even buy guns. Some want secured colonies exclusively for them with government security. There are different voices on related issues related about their return. There are no signs that government has engaged them in dialogues the way it engages with Muslims of the valley.
The way forward for resettlement of Kashmiri Hindus in the valley and resolving their pains is not so difficult if an earnest attempt is made on both sides. Jammu and Kashmir state government, the Lt Governor and the Central government should overtly engage Kashmiri Hindus in dialogues, even if it requires many meetings. It must see to it that bureaucracy, both in Jammu and the Kashmir valley is sensitive to the pain and fears of Kashmiri Hindus. You cannot blindside the native population of the land that has paid the highest price for standing by their dharma.
On the other side, Kashmiri Hindus’ leaders must rise above their egos and individualism; and try to bring about a consensus on what they expect from the State and the Centre. One cannot simply keep criticizing policies without offering any solutions. They have gone through an unforgettable and unforgivable trauma. But now that the central government has shown its intent by its commitment and strength, risking its political capital to resolve Jammu and Kashmir conundrum; it is incumbent upon Kashmiri Hindus to respond with gravity and offer solutions for their secure and prosperous future. Efforts for justice for Sarla Bhatt is another step towards resolution of Kashmiri Hindus’ pain. Next steps must be taken equally resolutely.
- Ratan Sharda
- Devesh Khandelwal
15th August 2025
First published on News18 portal - https://www.news18.com/opinion/opinion-justice-for-sarla-bhatt-step-towards-resolving-pain-of-kashmiri-hindus-but-more-needs-to-be-done-ws-l-9511017.html
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