3 days ago
Wandhama's Four Homes Still Recall 1998 Kashmir Pandit Massacre
In 1998, militants came to the village of Wandhama in Kashmir and killed 23 Kashmiri Pandits.
The victims included children, women, and guests staying with the families.
Only one teenager survived the attack.
Many Pandits had already left Kashmir because of violence, but four families had stayed in Wandhama.
After the killings, some Muslim families also left the village because they were frightened.
Today, four old Pandit houses still stand, although they are badly damaged.
Former residents sometimes return to visit Muslim friends and look after their land.
A government investigation into the killings was reopened in 2023, bringing the painful event back into public discussion.
Militants killed 23 Kashmiri Pandits in Wandhama on January 25-26, 1998.
Those killed included four children, nine women, and five guests.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police State Investigation Agency reopened an investigation on August 25.
Four abandoned Pandit homes remain standing in the village, while three others were sold and replaced.
Former Pandit residents still return to meet Muslim friends and manage or sell walnut produce.
- Who
- Twenty-three Kashmiri Pandits were killed by militants; the State Investigation Agency is investigating the case.
- What
- The investigation concerns the 1998 Wandhama massacre, in which 23 Kashmiri Pandits were killed.
- Where
- Wandhama village in Ganderbal district, central Kashmir.
- When
- The killings occurred on the night of January 25-26, 1998; the investigation was opened on August 25.
- Why
- The investigation was opened as part of a series of probes into killings of Kashmiri Pandits during the militancy.
Those Seeking Investigation
Those Concerned About Reopening Wounds
Reexamining the massacre
Those Seeking Investigation
The State Investigation Agency has opened a new investigation into the killings as part of wider probes into attacks on Kashmiri Pandits.
Those Concerned About Reopening Wounds
Some villagers remain fearful and resent discussion of the massacre, with one resident asking why old wounds are being reopened.
Community relations
Those Seeking Investigation
Former Pandit residents continue returning to meet old Muslim friends and remain connected to the village through their land.
Those Concerned About Reopening Wounds
The massacre and its aftermath caused fear, and some Muslim families also migrated from Wandhama to other parts of Kashmir.
Key facts
- Victims
- 23 Kashmiri Pandits
- Children killed
- Four
- Women killed
- Nine
- Guests killed
- Five
- Survivors
- One teenager
- Remaining Pandit homes
- Four rundown houses
- Investigation
- Opened by the State Investigation Agency on August 25
Quotes
Mohammad Haneef Baba
A 65-year-old Wandhama resident describing the remaining Pandit homes.
“The next morning, we went to the police station in Ganderbal and told them what happened in the village the previous night.”
indianexpress.com
“Nobody from the village has touched the other four, but how long will they stand the weather and time?”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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