The Kashmiri Pandits are Saraswat Brahmins, one of the oldest ethnic groups of the Indian subcontinent. Their history in the Valley spans over 5,000 years, rooted in a land they believed was reclaimed from a vast lake by the sage Kashyapa. https://thewire.in/rights/the-rise-exile-and-fading-footprints-of-kashmiri-pandits
The Kashmiri Pandits’ ‘best times’ are often associated with the reign of Lalitaditya Muktapida in the 8th century and later, the peaceful rule of Zain-ul-Abidin in the 15th century. The latter invited Pandits back after a period of persecution, earning him the title Budshah, the great king. During these eras, the community thrived as administrators, scholars, and spiritual leaders. Life moved on after the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India in 1948. The two communities, Pandits and Muslims, lived in harmony although Kashmiri Pandits were always viewed with a bit of suspicion because of their religious identification with the majority community of mainland India. Pandits were, however, acknowledged as good teachers and professionals (many were doctors and bureaucrats). Interestingly in spite of being Hindus they were very good teachers of the Persian language and were also recognised as good interpreters of the Quran.
The most painful chapter in their modern history began in January 1990. As Islamic militancy surged in the Valley, fuelled by external support and internal radicalisation, the minority community was targeted with a campaign of terror. Slogans like “Raliv, galiv ya tchaliv (convert, die, or leave)” reverberated from loudspeakers of the mosques. Prominent community leaders were assassinated. These included Tika Lal Taploo, a lawyer and Bharatiya Janata Party leader, Lassa Kaul, station director of Srinagar Doordarshan, Satish Tikoo, a young social worker, Sarwanand Koul Premi, a poet, and his son, Girja Tikoo, a teacher, and Sarla Bhat, a young nurse.
Most of the Pandits fled their ancestral homes overnight, carrying little more than their house keys –many of which they still hold on to today as symbols of hope
In spite of all these negatives the community is celebrated for its survival instincts since the days of Sikandar Butshikan. Deprived of land and homes, they doubled down on the one asset that couldn’t be taken away and that is education. Today, the Pandit diaspora is globally successful in medicine, technology, and academia
by Upendra Kaul
19/01/2026