April 19 – Sarla Bhat’s Brutal Murder: A Chilling Reminder of 1990’s Terror in Kashmir

 

Even after 35 years, Kashmiri Hindus continue to carry the deep wounds of the tragic events of 1989-90. During that dark chapter, hundreds of Kashmiri Hindus were mercilessly killed, assaulted, and tortured. The ruling government at that time failed to act and this silence gave extremist groups more confidence to continue their violent campaign, which many refer to as a targeted genocide.

 

 

 

 

In 1990, armed insurgent groups, backed by anti-India elements, made it clear that they wanted the Kashmir Valley free of Hindus. Local newspapers started publishing open threats by terrorists. These threats ordered Kashmiri Hindus to convert their religion or leave the Valley or face death. Many such warnings were also pasted on the walls of houses belonging to Hindu Pandit families. The messages included threats of rape, kidnapping, and forced religious conversion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the most chilling examples of this terror campaign was the brutal case of Sarla Bhat, a young Hindu woman from Anantnag. She worked as a nurse at SKIMS, the top medical institute in Srinagar. On April 14, 1990, she was abducted from the institute’s hostel by terrorists linked to the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front(JKLF). For days, she was gangraped, tortured, and eventually killed. Her mutilated body, with bullet wounds, was found on April 19 in downtown Srinagar. The post-mortem confirmed the horrifying abuse she suffered.

 

 

 

Even after such horrifying incidents, the government did nothing. Left with no hope or security, Kashmiri Hindus began migrating to safer places, leaving behind their homes, memories, and dreams. They believed they would return once peace was restored—but that day never came. Years went by, regimes changed, but their pain remained unaddressed. No significant political will was shown to restore their homes, their rights, or their lost heritage.