Political Orphans?

Abstract

This chapter aims to dispel the lies spread irresponsibly—by some mischievous individuals in Kashmir and elsewhere in India—that Kashmiri Pandits were (a) cowards who ran away without giving up a fight; and (b) bad people who deserved to be uprooted. The chapter highlights the sufferings of the community in the last three decades and why they did not attract any meaningful attention from the government of India in so far as the facilitation of their return is concerned, which could only happen by improving the political and security conditions in the valley. The chapter claims that, in political terms, the community does not matter because of their low numbers and an insignificant impact on the vote bank.