| September 14, 1989: Gruesome killing that marked beginning of Kashmiri Pandits' exile | | |  Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 13: In the politics of Kashmir, a handful of dates are remembered not merely as entries on a calendar, but as turning points that reshaped an entire era. September 14, 1989 is one such date — the day terrorists gunned down Kashmiri Pandit leader and senior BJP figure Tika Lal Taploo, an assassination now counted among the earliest and most consequential acts of violence that would eventually drive the Kashmiri Pandit community out of the Valley.
His killing deepened a climate of fear that had already begun tightening its grip on the Valley, and in the years that followed, tens of thousands of Kashmiri Pandits were forced to abandon their homes and flee. Every year on September 14, his death anniversary is observed in Kashmir as "Balidan Diwas" — Martyrs' Day.
This year, on the same day, the displaced Kashmiri Hindu community in Jammu is once again set to raise its voice, pressing demands that include a separate homeland, rehabilitation, employment, and an enhanced relief package.
Taploo was among the most prominent leaders of the Kashmiri Pandit community. A lawyer by profession, he was born in Srinagar and, after completing his education, returned to Jammu and Kashmir to practise law. Deeply active in social and political life, he came to be seen as a voice for the Kashmiri Pandit community.
He was associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and was among the early leaders of the BJP, playing a key role in strengthening the party's organisational base in Jammu and Kashmir — a contribution that saw him rise to become vice-president of the state unit.
Taploo was not merely a political leader; he was known for his active participation in movements of the day. He was jailed during the 1967 agitation and again during the Emergency. His persistent efforts to raise issues concerning the Kashmiri Pandit community only strengthened his standing among his people — but that same visibility and ideological conviction also made him a target for radicals as terrorism began to take root in the Valley.
The September 14 assassination was not the first attempt on Taploo's life. Just two days earlier, on September 12, his house came under attack, though he survived. Barely 48 hours later, terrorists struck again — this time fatally.
On September 14, as he made his way to the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, terrorists opened fire on him. He died in the attack. His assassination sent a chilling wave of fear through the Kashmiri Pandit community, and in its aftermath, terrorism and targeted killings in the Valley escalated sharply.
An anecdote tied to Taploo's assassination is still recounted within the Kashmiri Pandit community. It is said that on the day of the killing, he heard a young girl crying. Her mother reportedly told him that her daughter needed money for a school function but the family could not afford it.
Taploo reached into his pocket, pulled out five rupees, and was attempting to give it to the child when terrorists opened fire on him. The episode has since come to define his legacy — not just as a political leader, but as a man remembered for reaching out to those in need, even in his final moments.
Taploo's assassination left a lasting wound on the collective memory of Kashmiri Pandits. In the years that followed, terrorist violence in the Valley intensified, and threats and attacks against the community multiplied. Large numbers of Kashmiri Pandits were uprooted from the Valley, forced into displaced lives in Jammu and other parts of the country. It is this legacy that turned September 14 — the day of Taploo's death — into Balidan Diwas, observed each year in his memory.
This year, the displaced Kashmiri Hindu community in Jammu is organising a major gathering on September 14 at Manhas Maidan in Paloda, under the banner of Panun Kashmir, to place its long-pending demands before the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir administration.
These demands include official recognition of the genocide of Hindus in Kashmir, a separate homeland for displaced Hindus, an employment package for 15,000 youths, and an increase in the monthly cash relief provided to the displaced community. |
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