In a powerful social media tribute, director Vivek Agnihotri marked January 19 – etched in history as the Kashmiri Pandit Exodus Day – by sharing an animated depiction of unimaginable horror. The image shows a family under siege, compelled to forsake their beloved Valley home to survive Islamist terror.
Agnihotri, whose 2022 film ‘The Kashmir Files’ exposed the brutal ethnic cleansing of the 1990s, wrote in his Instagram caption: ‘Today is January 19. The day Kashmiri Hindus were forced to leave their ancestral homes. This is to remind you that even 36 years later, they cannot return home and live in exile in their own country.’ The post has sparked an outpouring of grief and resolve online, with many echoing ‘Never forgive, never forget.’
Rewind to 1990: Mosques blared threats – ‘Convert, die, or leave.’ Thousands of Pandits fled overnight, leaving behind properties worth billions. This forgotten genocide claimed lives and shattered a 5,000-year-old civilization in Kashmir.
Agnihotri’s cinematic venture into this tragedy was no easy ride. ‘The Kashmir Files,’ produced for 15-20 crores, defied odds to earn 350 crores globally. Battling smears of bias and promotional blackouts, it triumphed as audiences embraced its unvarnished truth. Tax-free status in multiple states amplified its impact, turning it into a cultural phenomenon.
Years on, Pandits languish in refugee camps across Jammu and beyond. Agnihotri’s reminder underscores a stark reality: rehabilitation promises ring hollow. As political narratives shift, his voice pierces the amnesia, demanding accountability and the right of return for a displaced people yearning for their homeland.