Disrupting peace

The Indo-Pak peace conference took an ugly turn when a section of Kashmiri Pandits started to hurl abuses at Yasin Malik and called him a rapist and a murderer

Hardnews Bureau Delhi

The Indo-Pak peace conference took an ugly turn when a section of Kashmiri Pandits started to hurl abuses at Yasin Malik and asserted that he is responsible for mass exodus of Pandits from the state.

"We want an identity. Our three generations have been consumed by the conflict," said Yasin Malik. As soon as he went up to the dais, a section of people stood up and started hurling abuses at the JKLF leader. He was invited as a speaker in the peace conference at the India International Center in New Delhi.

The protestors also alleged that Malik is a rapist and a murderer and thus should not be allowed to speak in a conference which aims at promoting peace. Belonging to various organisations formed by the migrant Kashmiri Pandit community, these people held Malik responsible for their mass exodus from the valley. They also resorted to distortion of history by alleging that Kashmir was never a peaceful area and Hindus and Muslims have a history of being hostile to each other.

Malik seemed unfazed over these allegations and kept a cool head. "If they say I have raped some girl they should tell me the date and time of the incident and if they prove it. I am ready to be hanged here," he remarked over the allegations. He stressed that he would welcome all Pandits if they wish to come back home.

He went on to add that it were only a section of the Pandits in metropolitans who resort to such uncivilised behavior. He alleged that the Indian intelligence agencies support these groups to counter the atrocities that armed forces have inflicted upon Kashmiris for decades. "The real sufferers live in camps in Jammu and they have always welcomed me whenever I visited them," he said pointing to scores of Kashmiri Pandit families living as refugees in Jammu.

Malik also accused the Indian State for not leaving any space for a non violent movement in Kashmir.