WHAT IS A KASHMIRI PANDIT
Here are some words written for IAKF by Distinguished Professor Subhash Kak, whose full-length article “The Wonder That Was Kashmir” is the source of much more information:
“Exodus from Kashmir, unprecedented migration into four corners of the world, and intermarriage with other communities compel us to look afresh at what constitutes a Kashmiri Pandit. In relatively recent history, going back 3 or 4 centuries, Kashmiri Pandits have been famous for their learning and administrative skills. But, if one goes even further, one finds that Kashmir was one of the great centers of culture anywhere in the world for about one thousand years until 1300 AD. Not only literature, but also art, architecture, painting, dance, music, philosophy and sciences were cultivated in Kashmir, and ideas from Kashmir influenced all of Asia. Kashmiris were devoted to excellence in a variety of fields. Kashmiriness is an attitude; it is commitment to integrity and truth, and it is connection to Kashmir’s history and culture.”
HISTORY OF THE KASHMIR PROBLEM
Our website contains a full resource of articles, links, and audio/video clips relevant to the Kashmir problem, with specific attention to the ethnic cleansing and exodus of the Kashmiri Pandit minority Hindu community. For a quick reference, please read the article below. Also, we recommend you visit our Multimedia page to view the documentary or hear the audio interviews that help give a background to the problem. And our Links page will provide a vast range of information for those who require more detailed analysis of the Kashmir Pandit situation.
Sumit Ganguly’s Summary of the Kashmir Problem.
Sumit Ganguly is professor of political science and holds the Rabindranath Tagore Chair in Indian Cultures and Civilizations at Indiana University. A specialist on regional security issues in South Asia, he is the author, editor, or co-editor of fifteen books on the region, and was a fellow at the USIP (U.S. Institute of Peace).
History of Kashmiri Pandit Exoduses
Author Satish Ganjoo, PhD, writes in his book Wailing Shadows in Kashmir a chapter on the history of Pandit genocides occurring over the past several centuries in the Valley. This last chapter of his book has been generously donated to the IAKF website.
History of the Latest Kashmiri Pandit Exodus
This page provides a concise summary fact sheet on the violence that led to the forced exile of the Kashmiri Pandit community from Kashmir in 1989-1990, their last and continuing exodus.
WHERE IS KASHMIR
Click image to enlarge
Color map of Kashmir and its boundaries
Boundaries of the state of Jammu and Kashmir
Alternate Map of Kashmir
