Kashmir

Even as Hindu religious feelings were being whipped up in India by certain groups, there was growing Islamic fundamentalism in the Kashmir valley. It was in the 1980s and the 1990s that militancy grew with the active help of Pakistan. Religious sentiment was intensified and linked to

the liberation of Kashmir from the Indian State. The cry was for ‘jihad’ and groups such as the Lashkar-e-Toiba wanted Kashmir to join Pakistan. This group was rapidly gaining prominence, trying to suppress other groups such as JKLF which wanted independence rather than joining Pakistan, and working for vengeance against India for its role in the creation of Bangladesh. The fundamentalism was not confined to fighting the Indian State machinery but extended to changing the way of life with banning cinema, smoking and drinking alcohol besides compelling women to wear the burqa. The Pandits bore the brunt of the actions of the militants: they were forced to leave their homes and Kashmir and become refugees.