Kashmir Bhavan in Bengaluru: A must visit place

Kashmir Bhavan in Bengaluru: A must visit place

Mangalore Today News Network

By Bhamy V. Shenoy

Mangaluru, Dec 16, 2023: In recent months, when Armenians were forced to leave their home land of Nagorno Karabak, it is understandable only few Indians would have heard of such ethnic cleansing. However when such an ethnic cleansing preceded by a genocide of Hindus in Kashmir happened in early 90s in our own country, can we forgive ourselves?

Here I am talking of the mass exodus of Kashmir Pandits. While Kashmir Files has certainly succeeded in bringing this horrific tragedy of Kashmir Pandits to the national agenda, we have not done enough to help thousands of Pandits suffering from poverty in Jammu and other parts of India, including Bengaluru.

Having visited Kashmir recently when I heard about the shocking details of how Pandits were driven out, I was curious to see Kashmir Bhavan  located in Bengaluru’s Jayanagar T block. It is with sadness and heavy heart I read the names of Pandits martyred on the wall while entering the bhavan compound. Pain was even more unbearable when I read the shocking statement of how the well known terrorists freely roamed around threatening the peaceful residents.  

The more I learnt about the short history of the construction of the bhavan, it was even more painful and tragic. From a web site I learnt that when the project of constructing the bhavan started, misinformed residents of Tilak Nagar where the bhavan was to come strongly objected. They were complaining that the pandits after fighting with the military have come to Bengaluru and they would take over. They filed a case in the High Court. Fortunately they failed and some sympathizers of Kashmiri Pandits convinced the doubting residents of Tilak Nagar and the Bhavan was inaugurated in October 2013 by former CM S M Krishna.

There is a small temple in the Bhavan premises which has Shivalinga to remind visitors of what Pandits have left behind in their home land. I was expecting that inside the Bhavan there will be attractive features and replicas along with audio/video to pay homage to narrate the story behind the mass exodus. Instead it is all about the renting of the place for meetings, parties, etc.

I hope the trustees of the Bhavan will hire an expert to develop a fitting tribute to make the Bhavan a sacred place for visitors to pay their homage to all those who sacrificed their life. Also to remind the living how not to inflict such horror on any human beings for any purpose. It is Pandits of Kashmir who have contributed over several centuries to promote Sanatan Dharma. It was in Srinagar where Sankaracharya prayed to bring peace and harmony amongst different religious groups.

Kashmir Bhavan should become a sacred place to spread the message of Sanatan Dharma, the foundation of all religions which is "Love All and Serve All’. If we are even more ambitious, we can follow the noble example of Jews to build memorials for the six million Jews killed by Hitler during the second World War. Indians should build memorials for Kashmir Pandits in large cities of India.