Image via Indiatoday.com
Many Kashmiri pandits who were forced to emigrate out of the Kashmir valley many years ago along with some other Hindus who were denied permission to proceed with this year’s Kausar Nag Yatra, thanks to the Omar Abdullah government bowing down to separatist pressure, have relocated to Gaza in order to attract mainstream coverage in India for their plight.
“Given how the Indian mainstream media and the so-called secular political parties have been agonizing over Palestine and Gaza, we decided this would be the ideal chance for us to attract some attention towards our issues as well,” Hari, a Kashmiri pandit, told The UnReal Times Gaza correspondent. “We’re not expecting anything from Modiji, though. We’re confident that even though he will continue to maintain a majestic silence while he’s apparently ‘monitoring the situation,’ the mainstream media will lap up our plight in Gaza like never before and thus help us return home,” Hari added.
Meanwhile, the Kashmiri turned Palestinian pundits had reason to cheer, as the Aam Aadmi Party swung into action, holding a candle-light vigil for their plight. Senior AAP leader Prashant Bhushan, leading the vigil, cried out, “Screw referendum and all that! Kashmiri Hindus in Gaza should be given justice. Period.” AAP has also announced a musical event to showcase their solidarity with Gaza’s Kashmiri Hindus.
A few liberals, however, blamed the exodus on Modi. “Modi knew that India’s vote against Israel in the UNHRC made him lose of some of his goodwill with the online right wing, so in order to justify his decision, he made this happen. Now no online right-winger will speak out against Gaza,” said a leading left leaning liberal.
J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, however, lashed out at critics by tweeting, “I just yielded a bit to pressure. Terming the whole incident as #OmarSurrenders is patently overstating it.”