Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 9: Dr Ajay Chrungoo, Chairman of Panun Kashmir, has urged for an unambiguous recognition of the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits (KPs), criticizing successive governments for their failure to address the issue. His remarks came in response to senior Congress leader Tariq Hameed Karra’s recent statement on the plight of the displaced community in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
Dr Chrungoo acknowledged Karra’s comments as a rare instance of introspection among mainstream Kashmiri politicians, who have often dismissed or denied the forced exodus and genocide of Pandits. However, he cautioned that this shift in tone might be a political maneuver rather than a genuine call for justice.
“If Karra’s words are to hold any real meaning beyond political point-scoring, the Congress must openly acknowledge that what happened to KPs was a systematic campaign of religious cleansing that meets every criterion of genocide,” he asserted while addressing a press conference here.
Criticizing both Congress party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Dr Chrungoo accused successive governments of perpetuating the denial of genocide. He emphasized that despite the BJP’s nationalist rhetoric, it has failed to implement any concrete legal or political framework to address the genocide or hold the perpetrators accountable. He pointed out that the policy of providing relief and rehabilitation is a deliberate attempt to obscure the demand for justice.
Dr Chrungoo also questioned whether leaders like Karra and Omar Abdullah genuinely recognize the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits. “If they do not, how is their position any different from that of the BJP?” he asked. He condemned the policies of past governments, including the Congress and the NC, accusing them of acting as bystanders during the atrocities against Pandits.
Concluding his remarks, Dr Chrungoo stated that the denial of genocide is not merely a historical distortion but a consolidation of the crime itself. He demanded that political leaders move beyond symbolic gestures and commit to a legal framework that ensures justice for the KP community, describing it as an essential issue of historical truth, legal accountability and national integrity.
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