1. The Panun Kashmir Movement (PKM), representative organization of displaced Kashmiri Pandits, submits this memorandum at a time when the Millennium Summit of the United Nations has concluded only a couple of days earlier at New York. The Kashmiri Pandits have entered the new millennium in their eleventh year of displacement from Kashmir valley.
Among the various global issues which the Millennium Summit considered during its historic session, the attention of the world community is invited to the genocide, exodus, ethnic cleansing of and apartheid against the Kashmiri Pandit community of Kashmir valley by the Islamic fundamentalists and terrorists. This is now the core issue which is involved in the Kashmir tangle.

2. Kashmir tangle has assumed quite a different shape over the years from what it appeared at the time when Kashmir problem was taken up by the UNO in 1948.It is not now only a dispute over territory, because of Pakistani aggression on Indian territory. Nor is it because of claim based on the "extension of two nation theory over an area called J&K state which is contiguous to the Islamic state of Pakistan" which was an erstwhile princely state of the British empire. The Indian Independence Act of 1947 declared that suzerainty of British government over the ruler of the state lapsed and he was free to accede to the either of the dominions of India or Pakistan. The ruler of J&K state exercised this option in favour of India through the Instrument of Accession as an important element of the Indian Independence Act of 1947. Now after the ethnic cleansing of the indigenous people - the Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir, the tangle has assumed a global significance which will have its ramifications on the whole humanity living around the globe. It has assumed a shape of cultural onslaught on the minority by the majority. Jihad (the Muslim holy war) has been declared and is used as an instrument to make the Islamic zealots throughout the world to take up arms against the non-Islamic infidels. It is now essentially a cultural and civilizational onflict. The most important pointers of this tangle are:-
a) whether in future the criteria for the survival of existing form of a state will be determined by the religion alone;
b) will the principles of governance, administration, deliverance of justice and execution of welfare programmes be determined in conformity with the dictates of the religion of the majority people;
c) will the minority in such states lose their claim on land, their rights, their cultural roots and their fundamental and human rights;
d) will the majority religious community have the privilege to cleanse the minority community by genocide or by following policies akin to that to achieve their goal; and
e) will the aborigines and indigenous people lose their right on their homeland by being exterminated from the land of their origin. 

3. The displaced Kashmiri Pandit community has hope in the Declarations, Conventions, Covenants and Directive Principles of the world organization and above all we have faith in the true conscience of humanity which stands for truth, justice, rule of law, co-existence and peace. It is here that we present our case before the world conscience. It is not a question of arguing out a case in any forum or a court with manoeuvred arguments and counter arguments, but an appeal to the elements of justice in the conscience of humanity.

4. The Kashmiri Pandits have over five thousand years old written history of living in Kashmir valley. They have evolved their own distinct cultural tradition and ethos because of the peculiar geographical situation of the valley. History is replete with several forced exodus of Pandits from Kashmir valley during the last seven hundred years after the advent of Muslims in the valley and subsequently their grabbing of political power. The story of aggression on life, culture and religion of the indigenous people of Kashmir has not its origin in the partition of India. It only added a new dimension to this problem. It is important to clear that the Kashmiri Pandit problem is not also the outcome of the conflict between India and Pakistan. But it cannot be denied that Pakistan gave a stronger organisation and equipment to the Jehad against the Pandit community in Kashmir by involving the global Muslim fundamentalist forces and finances.

5. Kashmiri Pandits have claim and right over Kashmir valley better than that of any other community now living in Kashmir. The settlement of Kashmir tangle cannot be made partially. Our claim on Kashmir is the core of the present Kashmir tangle. The Islamic fundamentalists have over a long period of history till this date launched a well planned and designed aggression on the existence, culture and distinct identity of this community. It resulted in genocide (even by mass massacres), ethnic cleansing of the community and its dispersion throughout India and outside. The majority community of Kashmir has repeatedly rejected co-existence with Kashmiri Pandits, but their rejection can in no way dilute or reject the claim of Pandits on Kashmir. The Pandits are the indigenous and aboriginal people of the valley. Any process towards seeking peaceful settlement of Kashmir tangle cannot ignore the participation of this community.

6. Though in Kashmir tangle there is involvement of over seven hundred thousand exiled Pandits only, yet it has ramifications beyond the boundaries of the valley of Kashmir. The whole human civilization is endangered if we make light of this problem. It is a hole in the ship. Now is the time for the world community to take care of the future of humanity living on this globe. The establishment of homeland for all the seven hundred thousand Kashmiri Hindus in Kashmir will be a deterrent against creation of disorder and aggression on the aborigines and indigenous minorities living in various far-off pockets of the world. The Pandits as a distinct cultural identity can maintain their ethos only when their right to live in a compact and cohesive manner within a specific territory in their homeland in Kashmir valley is accepted and the constitution of India is made applicable fully to that territory with full political power in their hands long an economic mechanism which can retain the community in the land of their origin on lasting basis.

APPEAL

In the above background and context, we the members of the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community appeal to the world conscience that the issue of The displacement and resettlement of the aborigines and indigenous people of Kashmir valley (the Kashmiri Pandit community) be recognised as a legitimate political concern in respect of the Kashmir tangle.

On behalf of Kashmiri Pandit Community,

Ashwani. K. Chrungoo,
President, Panun Kashmir Movement (PKM)
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Sunil Bali,
Co-ordinator, PKM-Overseas
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Veer Saraf,
President, Asia Pacific Kashmiri Pandit Forum
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