THE kind of politics that is being conducted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is dividing the Indian society deeply along communal lines, and the recently released Bollywood film, The Kashmir Files, is a perfect example of what it is trying do.

The film is an attempt to provoke anti-Muslim sentiments, especially animosity towards Kashmiri Muslims, across India. The film is widely propagated by members of the BJP and even by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself.

The movie is set to depict the departure of Kashmiri Pandits in the 1990s from India-occupied Kashmir. The Islamophobic film, in an attempt to demonise the Kashmiri Muslims, narrates a story that Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave the area and they were ousted through a genocide committed by the local Muslims. By the end, it tries to excite the hope that Hindus will return to the occupied Kashmir. It is suggested in the film that the settlement of Hindus in the occupied valley will become a reality one day.

However, the facts presented in the film are disputed, and so is its larger message. Sanjay Kak, a famous Indian documentary filmmaker and a writer based in New Delhi who is also a Pandit, has openly shared his views about how the film is based on fiction and how it is dangerous for everyone.

From partition to date, the subcontinent has suffered from communal politics. The BJP is on a dangerous path which will result in communal violence on a much larger scale. Better sense should prevail in India as it never fails to claim being the world’s largest democracy. Human rights agencies should be seriously concerned about such nefarious projects supported by the state.

The Kashmiris have suffered for too long, and more communal violence will result in more instability in the region that is in no one’s benefit. This much is beyond debate.

Anwar Sayab Khan
Bannu

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2022