Gautam Kaul
For quite some times, there has been a clamour in the ranks of those non Muslims who have lived for centuries in the Valley, to be helped in returning to ‘their homeland’. At regular intervals pictures of burnt out dwelling units have surfaced in the social media network reminding the aging communities on what they are missing now after three decades.
Till now the non Muslims minorities had only been clamouring for government jobs in the education, revenue, and clerical assignment. The other areas of government work was not favoured. If they could have it, these jobs were to be offered near the place of residence, or even within safe areas. The so called unsafe areas were in fact reserved for people from Bihar, UP, MP, Kerala or Maharashtra to be filled in. I found the arrangement a little distasteful.
The Pandits cannot have bread on both sides of their bread. By omissions they are avoiding to participate in sports, armed police jobs in the Central Armed Police Forces like the ITBP, CRPF, BSF, or SSB. This is because once you join these units, you are no more near your home. You are in fact ‘serving the nation’
This was not so four decades ago. Many non Muslims from the valley happily sought jobs in Central Government services if they filled the essential education qualifications. Many found themselves in superior services including the uniformed services like State Police jobs.
Subsequent to the latest mini migration out of the valley, this time, a section of the Pandit community have now thought of seeking jobs under the national flag. After nearly eight centuries, this group is asking that ‘they be given the sword’ to protect their home and hearth from the enemies who would not allow them to stay in their original homes.
The community has in the past stated that they form a distinct community now, small as it may be. They have their culture, their food, their language and their long history in civilization. The Pandits last took to the sword over 800 years ago when they were led by the last Hindu ruler, Rani Kota and on her demise, the entire non Muslim community came under alien Muslim rule of Afghan occupiers.
This lost identity now needs to be restored. The via media is to create a collective of warriors who volunteer to stick together under the National tricolor and serve both their community and the nation to fight for their social status and culture. The Garwalis have their regiment, the Ladakhis and the Nagas, have their battalions, so are those from Coorg, the Mahars of Maharashtra and many others. The JK Rifles are now the latest collective but this group has a lot of Dogra representation, which is otherwise alright. It was time the Pandit community be given a small representative fighting group. Its anybody’s guess on what would be the popular response to the concept. Having been a slave and survile community, genetically the Pandits now prefer to serve under, and less lead groups. So one needs to start small in this idea. The best way out is to create a one battalion group within the State of J&K and recruit all willing able bodied youth into the ranks and train them into a fighting body.
The pundits battalion can be attached with the J&K Rifles, have its commanders from the community and be trained specially to work as a guerrilla force. Alternately it can work under the ITBP for some time. The ITBP has its advantage which is their battalion units can have four company strength unlike other forces which have bigger company strengths to form their fighting units.
The new concept unit may be termed as Vadi Ki Paltan and also based inside the Valley after training. It can act as support group to JK Police or CRPC. Its formation should otherwise be akin to a JK Light Battalion formation. Such a new group would perhaps be a beginning for the pandit unemployed youth to find an expression to wage their own little wars, and help in the clearing up of militants and anti national elements which are plaguing the Valley and not allowing the return of peace and good law and order. To begin with anyone who claims to have been a resident of the Valley may be considered for induction. This will help in absorbing the sikh, khattries and displaced moderate Muslims who were good neighbors of the pundits in the Valley. We may incidentally find out if the Pandits are capable of picking up of the swords and follow up on the traditions left by Rani Kota of yore.
(The author is former DGP ITBP)
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