Kashmiri Pandits on Monday (March 23, 2026) asked Kashmiri Muslims to come forward for the return of the displaced minority community, as they gathered in the Valley to pay tributes to 24 Pandits who were killed by terrorists on March 23, 2003 in south Kashmir’s Pulwama.
Scores of Pandits and Muslims swarmed the venue at Pulwama’s Nadimarg and paid floral tributes at the plaque carrying the names of the victims. “We observe March 23 as a black day. Till our last breath, we will remember the victims. We will not forgive or forget those who carried out the heinous crime,” said a Kashmiri Pandit, who has travelled to Kashmir specially for paying the tributes.
Referring to the migration of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in the 1990s, the Kashmiri Pandit said, “It has been a long period now. Kashmiri Pandits have a microscopic population of around 4% in Kashmir. It’s time for the 95% Muslim population to hit the streets and come forward for our return, instead of merely lip service,” he said.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Aijaz Ahmad Mir, who led Muslims to pay tributes to the victims, said, “Kashmiri Muslims have not forgotten the massacre. We stand shoulder to shoulder with Pandits. There is a sense of insecurity among Pandits. The government needs to take measures to address these insecurities,” Mr. Mir said.
