Lalit Koul writes about another (sic) peace-bus service to Pakistan. The land of Abhinavagupta is now a terrorist-haven, with successive Indian governments as passive enablers.

It is ironic that on this day, World Refugee Day, the Indian government is flagging off another bus service between India and Pakistan while there is no bus service for more than 400,000 refugees who are within India longing to go back to their homeland in the vale of Kashmir.

While the government in Jammu & Kashmir is busy appeasing secessionist elements, there is a sizeable population of residents of Kashmir who languish in refugee camps in sweltering heat, dispersed all over the plains of India. Any guesses who these folks are?

YES. You got that right. Kashmiri Hindus. [...]

So I made up my mind to visit my homeland and take her along. And off we went to my homeland. It was after 16 long years of forced exile that I took a chance, went back and touched and kissed my lovely homeland. It was an experience, full of nostalgia as well as heartbreaks.

While we were there, I stopped by at a Kashmiri music store to buy some audio cassettes of Kashmiri music. While I was shopping, the merchant was very cordial. But as soon as the trade was over, he made a comment and I quote: “So how long are you going to be here?” And that brought me back to the reality that we, the Kashmiri Hindus, are still not welcome in our homeland.

As long as we go there as tourists, it is fine. But if we demand our just rights, we are not welcome. And the Government of India is perpetuating that notion by implementing its flawed and dangerous policies of appeasement.

Every dialogue on Kashmir somehow seems to miss the Kashmiri Pandits as if they don’t exist.