Displaced Kashmiri Hindus Depict the Horrors of Atrocities Through an Exhibition at the Maha Kumbh Mela

Photo Exhibition Showcasing Atrocities on Kashmiri Hindus by Displaced Kashmiri Hindus

– Mr Ketan Patil, Prayagraj

Prayagraj, February 12 – For the first time at the Kumbha Mela, the Displaced Kashmiri Hindu Community Organization has set up an exhibition portraying the severity of the atrocities inflicted upon Kashmiri Hindus. The exhibition has been set up on Padma Madhav Marg in Sector 8. Kashmiri Hindu families, who have settled in different states, have come together to organize this exhibition.

Speaking about the exhibition, Shri Ashwini Sadhu, founder of the Displaced Kashmiri Hindu Community Organization, said, “The government should take the initiative to rehabilitate Kashmiri Hindus in Kashmir. Discussions about the atrocities faced by Kashmiri Hindus do take place, but beyond that, actual rehabilitation should happen. Kashmiri Hindus have pursued education and livelihoods in different states. Our third generation, after displacement, is still waiting to return to its homeland. At the Kumbha Mela, we will be providing food services to thousands of people. Despite seven massacres, the Kashmiri Hindu lineage has survived – this is only due to the grace of the Almighty.”

Anchal Raina, who arrived from Noida, shared her experience: “After being displaced from Kashmir, we were given shelter in Jammu. At that time, we hoped that one day we would be able to return to Kashmir. Those who had no financial resources had to endure immense hardships. We struggled for nearly one to one-and-a-half years just to get our children admitted to schools. Many elderly individuals succumbed to snake bites and lost their lives. Today, every Kashmiri Hindu is striving to educate themselves and secure a stable future.”

At this exhibition site, regular yajnas (ritual sacrifices), worship of Deity Shiva, and collective aartis are performed. To preserve their culture, young generations of displaced Kashmiri Pandits from various regions are being taught Kashmiri-language hymns dedicated to different deities.