Kashmiri Pandit Agitation

In June 1967 Parmeshwari, a Kashmiri Pandit girl working in Government Co-operative Department in Srinagar was harassed in the Department. She was hardly 17 years old and was working there as a cashier. She had lost her father at a very young age and except her mother, there was none to look after her in the family. Suddenly it so happened that continuously for months together she found her cash short at the end of the day. However, a Muslim employee was there who came forward to deposit the money in the departmental account from his pocket after the close of the day’s account. This was how a situation was created to trap the girl and the employee was now impressing on her that he was her saviour. No one in the department bothered to move forward and enquire about the mischief played with the girl who was quite innocent. However, it appeared to be a part of conspiracy later on as the boy finally abducted her and remained hidden for many days and married her secretly. Parmeshwari’s mother filed a complaint with the police to get her daughter restored. Her complaint was not honoured by the police. However, the Kashmiri Pandit Community launched an agitation under the leadership of All-State Kashmiri Pandit Conference Yuvak Sabha Sheetal Nath with Pandit Shiv Narayan Fotedar as its President. Hindu action committee was formed to lead this mass movement and Pandit Vaishnavi was the Chief Activist of this action committee. Shri Amarnath Ganjoo, Shri Tika Lal Taploo and all other Swayam Saveks of RSS were its active participants. Pandit Vaishnavi arranged Satyagraha of volunteers who continued daily satyagraha for two months. The other activists of the movement who were in the limelight among others were Pandit S. N. Kachroo, Pandit Gopi Krishan Koul who was the President of Action Committee, Pandit Prem Nath Gasi who was the Vice President of Action Committee, and Pandit Jagan Nath Kheibry. All leaders were addressing huge public meetings in the Sheetal Nath in the evening hours regularly and Pandit Vaishnavi would always start his lecture with JAI KARA HAR HAR MAHADEV. Many arrests were made and people were lathi-charged on the roads. Sarva Shri Maharaj Krishen Razdan, A. K. Khushoo, Hriday Nath Mattoo, Lassa Koul Badami, Gopi Nath Handoo and many others were killed. A self-immolation bid by Shri Pushkarnath Vakil was foiled and he was arrested. Hundreds were wounded. Pandit Jagan Nath Kheibry as a daring journalist took the lead in publishing such Human Right Violation details in the state and also outside the state in leading newspapers The agitation aimed at pressurizing Government to handover the girl to her parents in an impartial way to save minority interests.

During the said summer agitation starting from the historical Sheetalnath maidan of Srinagar, Vaishnavi several times took out his turban from his head and got it drenched in the water pot  from the neighbouring houses and wiped the tears of the agitators  whose eyes were soaring due to teargas shells busted by the police.

Delhi Satyagraha

In October 1967 Vaishnavi left for Delhi with the band of activists (almost all from Sangh) which included Shri Balaji Bindroo, Shri Ashok Kumar Braroo, Shri Chuni Lal Koul, Smt Dulari Zadoo, Janak Rani Jagyasu and Shri Balkrishan Seru. On their arrival at Hindu Mahasabha office, the food fell short so no chapattis could be made available to them. Vaishnavi Ji as the team captain ordered them to buy the wheat from the market and boiled it to make it edible. His dictum was followed and they ate boiled wheat after being without food for two days. Before the food was served, Vaishnavi Jee addressed them and said: “We are on our mission to save our Dharma and our county so while dedicating ourselves to the said cause, we may have to miss meals or even to digest pebbles”. The Satyagrahis thus courted arrest outside Tihar Jail just after three days of stay at Hindu Mahasabha office in New Delhi. The Satyagraha was led by Pandit Amar Nath Vaishnavi and while courting the arrest they raised slogans “Kashmir Bachao, Desh Bachao”. Inside Tihar Jail Vaishnavi Ji couldn’t bear to see that some underprivileged prisoners were not getting meals two  times and he stood up for them and raised his voice to highlight their cause. However the agitation failed in the end due to lack of cooperation by the government.