Part I:
Chapter 0
Laying the Scene
Kashmiri Pandits, a euphemism for Kashmiri
Hindus, have a harrowing and bone-chilling history of gore and blood, torture
and religious persecution, molestation and disquiet. Tragically, much like the
harassed and bloodied Jews, they have been harried, despoilt and laid waste and
as victims to vile oppression and abominable persecution, they have been fleeing
every now and then from their home-land, splendorous and sublime in beauty and
natural endowments, where they through ages have built a massive edifice of
culture and civilisation with few comparable parallels, to sanctuaries outside
the purlieux of Kashmir to save their skin and faith from the hurricane of
Muslim zealotry and fanaticism. In fact, as evidenced by historical tomes and
records, their unmitigated and unabated saga of trials and tribulations, woes
and miseries, death and destruction dates back to dark and dismal times when
some proselytisers donning the garb of sufis actually fleeing from the
persecution of their native Muslim rulers found refuge and patronage in the
region of Kashmir, which was dubiously usurped by some rugged tribals (of
foreign vintage) converted to Islam.
Orthodox Islam with the characteristic ingredients of a
Semitic religion was ruthlessly introduced in and foisted upon Kashmir, which
was proverbially known world over as the bastion of Hindu sciences, religion,
philosophy and aesthetics. Rinchin, a pagan from Ladakh, was converted to Islam
and Qutub-ud-Din, a Muslim ruler, was coerced into submission by prescriptions,
fatwas and commands to rid him of un-Islamic and heretical practices, customs
and manners and Islamised thus contributed his mite to the transformation
campaign against the Hindu dress, culture and language as was unleashed by Mir
Ali Hamadani.
| 
Book in pdf format
