Ridiculing attempts at documentation, shaming of victims or adopting a deathly silence on ethnic cleansing, are all ploys to refute genocide.
“When I asked her about the circumstances under which the minority community fled the Valley, she told me they left Kashmir in search of better opportunities, in the face of worsening insurgency,” narrated one of my coworkers, while recollecting a conversation he had with a person in the Valley. Left for better opportunities. I was flabbergasted. But then I remembered the elaborate, genocide denying narrative that has been meticulously built up over the past three decades, to gloss over our forced exodus. It should not have surprised me now, I reasoned. Nevertheless, it invariably does, when one comes across such negations. Genocides evolve through ten stages, from classification of victims to denial of culpability. Such misrepresentation of facts is a part of the last stage of genocide⸺the denial.
Propensity of the culprits of ethnocide, and their supporters, to indulge in vehement denial of their crimes, is well-described. In their collective mindset they believe such atrocities never happened, thus shielding themselves from the guilt of their wrongdoings. We have been accused of leaving the Valley under a well-thought-out scheme, so that the majority community could get easily targeted by the Indian Army. Over the decades there have been unremitting efforts to create a smokescreen for the crimes committed by the perpetrators of genocide. Such denial is not only morally repugnant; but also reeks of complicity.
The dark night of 19 January 1990 was a turning point in our lives. Seeing hostile crowds flood the roads, and chant derogatory slogans, instilled an overwhelming fear in the hearts of our people, forcing them to flee for safety. In the face of a listless and ineffective state and central administration, that was the only option left to these helpless people. These torchbearers of the ancient heritage of Kashmir were forced to abandoned their homes, places of worship, farms, cattle and businesses, but above all they left behind the beloved homeland of their ancestors.
Kill one and scare a thousand, that was the diabolical plan of the terrorists. Many of the killings are poignant tales of betrayal, and sheer brutality. A nurse working in a medical institute was abducted, gang raped and then cruelly murdered. The killing of Mr C.L. Shalla is another soul-shaking story, where the guard who was supposed to protect him betrayed this upright officer to the terrorists. The grisly murder of this patriot didn’t satisfy his killers, they later threatened his family, forcing them to abandon their home and seek refuge in Jammu.
Our faith in the syncretic traditions of the Valley lay in tatters, particularly when neighbours and friends eulogized these rapists and murderers as “freedom fighters”. The collapsed administrative set-up didn’t inspire confidence ether. Massacres of Sangrampora (1997), Wandhama (1998) and Nadimarg (2003) betrayed the genocidal intentions of the terrorists. Conditions were thus created for the ethnic wipeout of a minuscule community that posed no threat to anyone.
Thirty-two years ago, dire circumstances forced us to abandon our homes in Kashmir and seek sanctuary outside the Valley. Overnight we found ourselves as refugees in our own country. Despite the immense financial strain, some of us could manage a near decent life in rented accommodations, but scores were condemned to wretched living conditions of refugee camps. Worst, the hapless victims of this tragedy were accused of being devious schemers, by the separatists and their supporters. Imagine the humiliation of being forced to live under miserable circumstances, and also being falsely accused of orchestrating their own exodus.
Given this backdrop, any attempt at denial of this catastrophe that befell our community is not only painful for the victims but also emboldens the genocidal mindset of the culprits. It is vital to keep an eye out for such refutations, as these can manifest not only overtly but also through acts of omission. Allegations of false propaganda, against those who have documented the eyewitness accounts of ethnic cleansing, are blatant acts of genocide denial. Belittling, and also brushing off such works as worthless fiction, is a nefarious ploy employed to discredit the facts. Additionally, to hide the truth there is a subtler ploy that is put to use. The published literature, pertaining to decades of violent conflict, coming out of the Valley maintains a stony silence on the dire circumstances⸺threats, betrayals and the wanton acts of violence⸺of our forced exodus. Some of these works are widely read, and hence their underplaying the genocidal acts is ethically unacceptable. The victims of genocide will not find closure, and reconciliation is unlikely, until the reality of those fateful days is laid bare.
Ridiculing attempts at documentation, shaming of victims or adopting a deathly silence on ethnic cleansing, are all ploys to refute genocide. Whatever means are adopted to deny a tragedy of such magnitude, need to be called out, and unambiguously condemned. Not only are these methods unscrupulous, but also crimes against humanity. Laws need to be in place to protect all communities against any future attempts at ethnic cleansing, and also to check genocide denial.
Denial of culpability is the tenth stage of genocide. From the perspective of the victims, until denial persists, genocide endures.
Rahul Magazine is the author of the book “And the Valley Remained Silent”.