Kashmiri Pundits will always be refugees in India till they get back their lands in valley: Author Kshama Kaul

Kashmiri Pundits will always be refugees in India till they get back their lands in Kashmir, said author Kshama Kaul during a book launch event held in the national capital on Wednesday.

Kaul's book 'Murti Bhanjan' was released on the third day of the Kitaab Festival. The fest witnessed the launch of books of different genres by Indian authors, along with insightful dialogues and interactions with the audience.

Speaking at the book launch event, Kaul said, "We are refugees until we get our land back in Kashmir. We came to annihilation there. We stayed here in a rented house. We had to pay rent. Shame on this government. No one saw if we had food or not. No arrangement was made for us but the stone pelters were given jobs. Terrorists were given Rs 5 lakh."

"Wherever we are outside Kashmir, everywhere we are refugees. Be it in Delhi, Jammu or anywhere in India, we are refugees. Save yourself from being one. This is the message I want to give. This is because I am a Hindu and I am in India. Still, I am a refugee. I believe all of you are Hindus," she added.

The author said her book 'Murti Bhanjan' is about how a community was broken by Islamic terrorism.

"Why was I thrown out? Because I was a Hindu. The word 'Hindu' is a word to be banned. It is a curse word. This was how we were seen as untouchables. Writers, media, the administration turned their back. We were saved by god's grace. We have to tell this to the whole of India that look, we have died but you should take advantage of our martyrdom. This is literature to alert people," Kaul emphasised.

"We know that no one will talk about us because we are Hindu. They will talk about people who have killed us," she said.

Kaul said that terrorism came to Kashmir because of the genocide of Kashmiri pundits.

"Because of the genocide, we the survivors that came out had nothing. We did not have a living. We have this body, a few clothes and the words which we read back there. That is why we were compelled to think that God has entrusted us to think over why we survived genocide. I saw that the truth is being hidden. 'Murti Bhanjan' tells Kashmir's reality and the bloodshed that took place in Kashmir valley."

She said Kashmiri pundits have been blacked out by the State, by the administration, by the judiciary.

"Here I have tried to tear apart what is ideology, what is fundamentalism and our secularism and democracy are the ones to wipe it out. Our genocide is continuously taking place. Kashmiri Hindus genocide is expanding. This book is the story of the continuity of that inner genocide."

Explaining the title of her book further, the author said Murti is like a community and the story is about how the Murti (community) was broken which is a part of the Indian community

Besides 'Murti Bhanjan', "Tulsi Das Ka Swapna aur Lok" by Jyotishi Joshi, "A Bird from Afar" by Anshul Chaturvedi and "Maut ki Kitaab" by Khalid Jawed were the other books launched today at India International Centre Annexe.

Commencing on December 13, the five-day book festival will conclude on December 17. It was organised by Prabha Khaitan Foundation. On the first day of the festival, 'Furrows in a Field' written by Sugata Srinivasaraju was launched in the presence of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda. Politicians like Farooq Abdullah, Sitaram Yechury and Jairam Ramesh shared their views at the festival amid a discerning audience.

On the second day of the festival, "Hindi ki Pehle Adhunik Kavita" by Sudipta, "Rangoon ki Manmani" by Waseem Nader, "Law, Humour and Urdu Poetry" by Ejaz Maqbool and "Satyajit Ray" by Raghu Rai were launched.

( With inputs from ANI )