Beginning of ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus with the assassination of prominent leader Pt. Tika Lal Taploo
| 18-Jan-2020 |
Exodus of Hindus from Kashmir was not an unforeseen event. It was a brutal campaign that was planned much earlier than it happened. It was Pakistan’s atrocious intention since the Indo-Pak war of 1965 which took its nastiest form during 1989-90.
On 14th Sept 1989, assassination of a Kashmiri Pandit leader who was an advocate by profession had shaken the entire community. Pt. Tika Lal Taploo, a prominent leader and face of the valley had largely contributed to the social welfare of people of valley. An honest and sincere man Tika lal Taploo had on various occasions donated big part of his earnings for charity. Often called as “Lala” by locals that also means elder brother, he had become a main target of the separatist forces and thus planned to kill him.
The first assassination of a Kashmiri Hindu that shocked the community and broke them down
Though death threats were being given to him from long, Pt. Taploo was a bold and fearless man. Knowing the fact that his life was in threat, he shifted his family to Delhi and returned to the valley on 8th Sept 1989. Later on 12th Sept, he was attacked at his residence in Chinkral Mohalla but he came out openly and challenged the militants without any fear. Following which on 14th September 1989, Tika Lal Taploo was killed by the assassins’ bullets in broad-day light when he was out on the street. His assassination came as a shock to large section of the population. His funeral was attended by Kedarath Sahni and LK Advani as he was then Vice President of the J&K Unit of Bhartiya Janata Party. The local Muslims shut their shops in respect of the martyr but reopened them in wake of commands issuing not to mourn the death of a Kafir. On the day, the Islamic fundamentalists murdered not only Taploo but also an old faith and culture of universal brotherhood and love and tolerance which he symbolized throughout his life.