After the gap of 20 years, Kashmiri Pandits celebrated Dusshera festival by burning the effigy of demon king Ravana in valley this year. A large gathering of chanting Hindus celebrated Dusshera with great enjoyment and burnt a huge effigy of Ravan to mark Lord Ram’s victory over the Ravana, symbolizing the victory of good over evil.

The Muslim-majority state Jammu and Kashmir is also the home of about 10,000 Hindus. They had stopped celebrating Dusshera in the open due to fear of Islamic militants. The Islamic militants had started targeting the people of Hindu community when the anti-India insurgency started in valley in 1989.

Now, hundreds of Hindus celebrated one of their biggest festivals for the first time in Kashmir since Muslim militants launched the insurgency in the valley 20 years ago. According to the report, more than 400 Hindus started the procession through the roads of Srinagar and burnt Ravana’s effigy in the cricket stadium under high security.

The Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti, an organization that represents Hindus in the Muslim-dominated state, said in a statement that Kashmiri Pandits of the valley have been completely ignored by the world community. It further said that the Kashmiri Hindus have now decided to start the age-old traditions and religious functions to mark our presence.

Sanjay Tickoo, president of Kashmiri Pandits Sangarsh Samiti (KPSS), had earlier said that this celebration would be a historical event for Kashmiri Hindus. He said:

The festival was celebrated last time in 1987 in Srinagar when Kashmiri Pandits had celebrated Dussehra and burnt the effigy of Ravana at Iqbal Park in Srinagar. Now, we have planned to revive that festival again in valley.

The festival of Dusshera was a popular festival in all the major district headquarters in the state. In the late 80s, the frequent terror strikes in valley forced the Kashmiri Pandits to migrate to other states and Dusshera was never celebrated in the valley since then.

About 250,000 Kashmiri Pandits left their homes in the valley and fled to safe places in other parts of the country when the insurgency broke out in late 80s. It was the biggest migration since the India’s Independence in 1947 when the subcontinent was divided into India and Pakistan.

On many occasions, the Kashmiri authorities have told the Kashimiri Pandits to return to their home state but they refused because of consistent fear of militancy.

Shabir Ahmad Shah, a prominent separatist politician, also took part in the Dusshera celebration organized by Kashmiri Hindus. He said after celebration:

Kashmir is incomplete without Pandits, I wish they would return.

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