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 tribute to 24 Pandits who were killed by terrorists on March 23, 2003 in south Kashmir’s Pulwama.
Dozens of Pandits and Muslims thronged the site in Pulwama’s Nadimarg and paid floral tributes at a plaque bearing the names of the victims. “We are observing March 23 as a black day. We will remember the victims till our last breath. We will not forgive or forget those who committed the heinous crime,” said a Kashmiri Pandit who traveled to Kashmir specially to pay his respects.
Referring to the migration of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley in the 1990s, a Kashmiri Pandit said, “It’s been a long time. Kashmiri Pandits are a microscopic population of around 4% in Kashmir. It’s time the 95% Muslim population took to the streets and advocated for our return, instead of just courting,” he said.
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Aijaz Ahmad Mir, who led Muslims to pay tribute to the victims, said: “Kashmiri Muslims have not forgotten the massacre. We stand side by side with the Pandits. There is a sense of insecurity among the Pandits. The government must take measures to address these insecurities,” Mr Mir said.
He said that such painful chapters of our history remind us of the importance of peace, unity and harmony of the community. “I sincerely hope and pray that our Kashmiri Pandit brothers and sisters return to their homes as soon as possible, with dignity, safety and a sense of belonging,” he added.
The PDP leader also demanded a dharamshala in Nadimarg for those who travel every year to pay homage to the sacrifice.
In 2022, the J&K High Court ordered the reopening of the Nadimarg massacre case. A number of witnesses in the case migrated from the Kashmir Valley. In 2011, a petition sought a new trial and transfer of the case to any court of competent jurisdiction in Jammu. Meanwhile, one of the key trialists, Zia Mustafa, a Pakistani accused in the Nadimarg massacre, died in an encounter in 2021 in the Poonch sector of the Pir Panjal Valley. The accused was considered the “mastermind” of the massacre by security agencies.
Meanwhile, J&K Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha handed over appointment letters to 37 next of kin (NoK) victims of terrorism in Jammu.
“I promise the families of the victims of terror that we will work with full commitment to ensure that they live with dignity and honor. We will fulfill every duty towards them with the utmost seriousness and we will not rest until justice reaches every family,” the Lt. Governor said.
Mr. Sinha said that justice to the families of victims of terrorism is not limited to punishment but also to healing wounds and restoring dignity. “We stand today at a crucial turning point in J&K. The youth of the Union Territory and the families of the victims of terror yearn for a bright future and wish to live a better life. It is our collective responsibility to make that future a reality and create the opportunities they deserve,” he added.
He issued a strong warning to the remaining elements of the terrorist ecosystem and to entrepreneurs in conflict. “Their era of terror is over. The people of J&K know well who sheltered such terrorist elements, but this shield is now crumbling. I warn them that there is no safe haven for terrorists or networks supporting them in Jammu Kashmir anymore,” he said.
The governor said those who were part of this terrorist ecosystem and managed to infiltrate the government machinery in the past “will face the law and will be systematically removed from government positions and punished according to law.” More than 85 locals were sacked from government posts in J&K by the LG administration.
Published – 24 March 2026 02:55 IST
