KPCS UK is nominated for the National Diversity Awards 2015

We are pleased and humbled to share the news that Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society (KPCS UK) has been nominated for the National Diversity Awards 2015. To win this prestigious Award we are required to request you for your votes. LAST DATE FOR VOTES: 21st June 2015

It's simple really... Click here and type in a small para about why you think KPCS deserves to win. That's it!

We at KPCS pride ourselves in being inclusive and democratic. We value our volunteers who plan, nurture and execute community projects that enhance the exposure to our dying culture. We lead by example, work with Kashmir diaspora and other groups to spread awareness of our heritage and roots. We have created awareness in the British Parliament as well as in the local public. If you support the work that we do please vote for us.... and tell the organisers how we made a difference to your connection with Kashmir.

On behalf of Team@KPCS I request you to extend your kind vote and support to us. We have grown from strength to strength because of the fantastic spirit of team work and volunteerism. Each idea we came up with has seen the light of the day and concretised Ito successful projects.

To know more about us please follow our Facebook page: KashmirRevisited and our website: www.kpcsuk.org

My personal gratitude and thanks to each one of you for having made the journey thus far, worthwhile! Please do make your vote count if you support and appreciate our work.

Thank you,

Lakshmi Kaul.

British NRI Leads to Secure Free places for Refugees while the country observes World Refugee Day

Free places granted by Hon'ble Minister of State Pravin Pote Patil for Refugees from J&K region at the PR Patil Group of Educational Institute, Amravati

A delegation led by Lakshmi Kaul, an activist and campaigner based in London met with Hon'ble Minister of State Sh. Pravin Pote Patil to discuss the plight of Hindu minorities in the J&K region including the refugees in West Pakistan. Mr. Pravin Ramchandra Pote-Patil is the Minister of State for Industries & Mining, Environment, Public Works (excluding Public Undertakings) and the President of P.R.Patil Group of Educational Institute. Lakshmi Kaul is the Founder of the leading organisation on Kashmiri Hindus, the Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society, UK, and the Chair of Public Relations for Hindu Forum of Britain (an umbrella body with a membership of over 400 temples and organisations in the UK).  For the meeting with the Hon'ble Minister, she was joined by Siddhartha Acharya, a lawyer, activist and film maker who has made the film "Abandoned Cranes" on the plight of Kashmiri Pandits that was screened at the British Parliament, Prerak Sharma, lawyer & activist and Apoorva Khandeparkar, student and activist.

During the discussion when the delegates brought to the Hon'ble Minister's notice how there were a number of displaced communities of Hindus that could not afford higher education and were living in abysmal condition, Mr. Patil was quick to offer atleast 100 free seats every year to deserving students from the affected communities in the P. R Patil Group of Educational Institute in Amravati, Maharashtra. The minimum fees per year per student is around INR 80,000 which has been completely waived off for the atleast Hindu Refugee students. However, boarding and lodging will need to be arranged for the duration of the course.

There are over 50 million people world over who have had to flee their homes owing to human rights violations.

 "I am highly touched and impressed by Hon'ble Minister Sh. Patil's commitment to help out the students in need and keeping them on the career path. Being able to remain on the education and career the refugee families will have hope of a secure future while they seek asylum and justice. The interaction with the Hon'ble Minister and his understanding of the needs of the communities suffering is notable. I was particularly moved by his devotion and extra effort into ensuring that this discussion concretised into action. We also discussed the need for greater interaction and association between communities in India and the UK," says Lakshmi Kaul who was particularly impressed by how approachable the Hon'ble Minister of State was to the members of the public.

Hearing the announcement Ms. Trupti Patel, President of Hindu Forum of Britain sent her best wishes to the Hon'ble Minister and has extended an invitation to him to meet with key representatives of the Hindu community in the UK. "We are very grateful to Mr. Patil for his support to the students in need, especially the refugee Hindu communities in West Pakistan," said Ms. Trupti Patel.

The annoucement has been welcomed by the members of the local communities in J&K. The London based Dogra activist, Manu Khajuria commended the effort saying, " Brilliant work! The West Pak Refugee youth are in such dire straits..doing it for them makes it truly historical.. never done before. Congratulations!"

The team also met the Hon'ble Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways & Shipping, Sh Nitin Gadkari who congratulated the Hon'ble Mr. Patil for his generous support the refugees from J&K region and extended his blessings to this initiative.

Contact:

Ms. Lakshmi Kaul
Founder & Executive Member, Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society, UK
Chair of Public Relations, Hindu Forum of Britain
Email: kpcsevents@gmail.com

Mr. Siddhartha Acharya
Lawyer, Activist & Film Maker
Email: siddharthacharya90@gmail.com

Upholding Religious Traditions in Foreign land

Hundreds of Kashmiri Hindus from in and around London attended the 2nd Annual Kheerbhawani puja and hawan at Rama Krishna Temple in Romford (East London) on Sunday, 14th June 2015. Organised by the Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society, UK the effort was to recreate the actual Kheerbhawani puja held in Kashmir and continue the religious traditions of the Kashmiri Hindu community. A scattered community of around 400 families across UK, the Kashmiri Hindus, the Pandits are a community in exile now in the 25th year. Through the years in exile, some of the community members have gone on to make careers and build their lives for the better however, owing to having been uprooted from their homes the struggle over the years has not only remained limited to the geo-political demand but also of identity.

KPCS UK for the last 4 years has made a huge difference to the community cohesion as well as awareness of not only the Kashmiri Hindu cause but also their religious, social, cultural traditions. 

 "Our effort has not just been to organise a puja but it is an effort to learn the religious traditions and build awareness of our heritage and practices among those living in the UK who are not Kashmiri. The Kheerbhawani puja is a classic example of one such effort where non Kashmiri priests have picked up the tradition and religious practice that is so unique to the Kashmiri Hindus (Pandits)," says Lakshmi Kaul, Founder & Executive Member of KPCS UK.

The puja held in Romford was the second one in the UK, the first ever having been organised in Southall at the Vishwa Hindu Kendra last year by KPCS volunteers. The hawan and puja was conducted in the methodology followed at the main Kheer Bhawani temple with the mother Goddess seated inside a water body and offerings made to her at the hawan.

"We had a wonderful puja and havan of Mata Tulmul Khir Bhavani (Kshira Bhavani) of Kashmir. Felt totally blessed. Thanks to all the Kashmiri Hindu members at KPCS," says Madhava Turumella, a Hindu scholar and priest who conducted the hawan along with the Shri Rama Krishna temple, Romford Priest Sanjay Pandit.

"It is wonderful to see our community connecting to roots and initating young children in these events," says Sunil Raina from New Delhi, India. " 

Kheer Bhawani is a temple dedicated to the Goddess Kheer Bhawani (originally just Bhawani) constructed over a sacred spring in Kashmir.The worship of Kheer Bhawani is universal among the Hindus of Kashmir. The temple is situated at a distance of 14 miles east of Srinagar near the village of Tul Mul. The term kheer refers to rice pudding that is offered in the spring to propitiate the Goddess, which became part of the name of the temple. As is the custom with Hindu deities, she has many names: Maharagya Devi, Ragnya Devi, Rajni and Ragnya Bhagwati. Because of the forced exodus in 1989-90 from the valley, Kashmiri Hindus have struggled to continue the tradition of going to Kheer Bhawani temple in Kashmir. Traditionally, an annual festival is held at Kheer Bhawani temple on the Jesht-Ashtami (may-june) when Hindu visit the temple and offer prayers and perform hawan to please the mother Goddess. The historic temple was built by the then Dogra ruler of Jammu & Kashmir, Maharaja Pratap Singh. Later it was renovated by Maharaja Hari Singh in 1912.

"I am a 17 year old Kashmiri Pandit. I was 16 months old when I came to this country and am now a British citizen. My parents talk very fondly about their birthplace Kashmir which sadly because of terrorism they are unable to visit. There are many families like ours in the U.K who share a common heritage and ethnic identity. KPCS has played an important role in bringing us all together and by holding events to preserve our rich and unique heritage. Their group of dedicated volunteers encourage not just my own community but other communities to work with each other and contribute to the rich tapestry of this country." Says Tejas Kotwal

For more photos please click here

For further details, contact: kpcsevents@gmail.com

Also published in Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

Announcing Kashmiri Language & Literature section on Syahee.com

Team@KPCS is proud to be part of www.syahee.com, an online vernacular blogging and literature community. Inviting all of you to sign up and become part of this growing community of writers and readers.

To become a part of this community, all you need to do is sign up to www.syahee.com and start contributing. There is a group called Kashmiri Literature on the website, that you may like to join. 

If you would like to write in Kashmiri, Hindi, Urdu or English, feel free to do so. In case you experience difficulty, let us know and we will help resolve it.

Look forward to reading your contributions on Syahee.com

Andhra - KP Potluck in High Wycombe on 12th April 2015

Navreh & Zangtray Celebrations in London

Fantastic Zangtray & Navreh celebrations in London at Bhaktivedanta Manor organised by Team@KPCS. What a lovely day spent with our family of friends!

BOOK RELEASE: We Remember 25 Years in Exile

Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society, UK compiled a set of first person accounts of the KP exodus contributed by the victims, now residing in the UK. The book is a set of 25 such stories called "We Remember: 19.01.1990". It was showcased at the Memorial Event at House of Commons on 19th Jan 2015 and inaugurated by Bob Blackman MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group of British Hindus and Barry Gardiner MP. 

Anupama Handoo, Executive Member, KPCS UK and Editor, We Remember: 19.01.1990 says, "It was extremely hard for people to put down their pain on paper. It meant revisiting again and again that horrid winter and spelling out the details from their memory. The horrifying winter over 25 years that they have tried to overcome, they had to revisit and recollect. The contributors have been extremely brave in putting these memories down for the world to read. I commend their effort and courage."

"These stories are first person accounts of individuals and families that suffered. This is agony put on paper of the Kashmiri Hindus who were forced to flee. This is our story for the world to read. These are our wounds, the ones that have not healed. The years may have moved on but time stopped, childhood wiped out and a whole generation lost", says Lakshmi Kaul, Founder & Executive Member, Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society, UK. Lakshmi is one of the contributors in the book.

The book may be requested via email (anupamahandoo@kpcsuk.org) upon a modest donation of £5 (for UK & Europe) and a special discounted rate of INR 200 for India.  Funds raised will be utilised for future work and projects to preserve the heritage and culture of Kashmri Hindus.

Historic Early Day Motion in British Parliament: Team@KPCS take it to the next level

A historic thing happened on 20th Jan 2015. An Early Day Motion on the Kashmiri Hindus Forced Exodus Day has been tabled in the British Parliament by Bob Blackman MP (Harrow East), facilitated by the All Party Parliamentary Group of British Hindus.

Team@KPCS was approached by the Secretariat of the APPG of British Hindus discussing that such an important EDM may help in building awarenesss among parliamentarians. A brilliant and brave step forward, to further the awareness about the Forced Exodus, KPCS supported the suggestion wholeheartedly and drafted the text of the EDM with help from senior political analysts.

#SupportEDM712 

A social media campaign: #SupportEDM712 has been designed to build awareness about the KP Forced Exodus and to get more and more MPs to sign in.

Regular updates on the EDM can be tracked by clicking on the link here.

What we as individuals can do?

What we need to do is to write to our local MPs - and it is very important we all do this - as many people writing is better for putting pressure. We need to write to our local MPs and urge them to sign it and support it. 

You don't need to be a Kashmiri Hindu in order to write to your MP urging them to sign this EDM 712. Any humanitarian and well meaning individual, can do that. Infact, we urge every one of you to take it upon yourself as your personal and moral responsibility to do it.

How to find your MP?

In the search box on the page in link below...enter your postcode and search for your local MP accordingly:

http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/

COMMEMORATION OF THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DISPLACEMENT OF KASHMIRI PANDITS FROM JAMMU AND KASHMIR

• Session: 2014-15
• Date tabled: 20.01.2015
• Primary sponsor: Blackman, Bob
• Sponsors: 
  • Thomas, Gareth (Harrow West) 
  • Hancock, Mike 
  • Bottomley, Peter

That this House commemorates with deep sadness the 25th anniversary of the attack in January 1990 by cross-border Islamic militants on the population of Jammu and Kashmir; expresses its condolences to the families and friends of all those who were killed, raped and injured in this massacre and also condemns the desecration of the holiest sites in Jammu and Kashmir; further expresses its concern that the Kashmiris who fled to save life and limb have still not secured justice for the atrocities committed against them; deplores those sponsoring such cross-border terrorist attacks and demands they cease immediately; and notes that the international principle of the responsibility to protect obliges individual states and the international community to take effective measures to prevent the commission of genocide and crimes against humanity as seen against the Kashmiri Hindu community.

Team@KPCS commemorates KP Forced Exodus day: London Awakens to the truth!

WE REMEMBER: 19.01.1990
Kashmiri Hindus Forced Exodus Day Commemoration

Hundreds of people in London came together to commemorate the Kashmiri Hindus Forced Exodus Day (19.01.1990).

On Sunday, 18^th January, people from all over London and around joined the Peace Walk organised by Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society, UK in large numbers including several Kashmiri Hindu families, most of who have been direct victims of the forced exodus in the harsh winter of 1989-90. It was an emotionally charged atmosphere that brought back the haunting memories of their pain. To offer support and solidarity to their brothers and sisters, a number of other Hindu community members joined in and extended their support.

Before commencing the walk, Madhava Turumella, Hindu Scholar and Vice President Hindu Forum of Britain chanted prayers for peace. Offering prayers he said it is sad that, "Kashmiri Hindu Pundits are living like refugees in their own country. Perhaps this kind of misery only Yazidis in Iraq are facing. This situation is not acceptable. I urge the Government of India to take all necessary steps to restore the dignity and the homes of Kashmiri Pandits." 

Walking and singing together “We Shall Overcome”, several people came together to pray for peace and solemnly remember the 19.01.1990. 

“For the first time after years, I witnessed passion, enthusiasm and hope,” said Neetu Jalali, Kashmiri Hindu victim of 1990 exodus, resident of London. 

Dr. Ashish Tyagi who came from Colchester to participate in the walk said, “it has been 25 long years in search of justice - felt good joining and walking for a good cause.”

Speaking to the people attending the Peace Walk, Manoj Ladwa, India Inc. reminded everyone that the world ought to acknowledge the gruesome genocide of the Kashmiri Hindus and anno

unced a slogan: "Je Suis Kashmiri Hindus" to make the world put the genocide in perspective.

Commending the community for its courage and resilience Simon Nayyar, (Conservative party Parliamentary candidate, Feltham constituency) said, “Today as we stand here, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, in sympathy, solidarity and support for humanity. I congratulate you for what you have overcome and what you have since achieved. I salute you for your community's contribution here in Britain and elsewhere. We share pride in your achievements and in your undimming strength, courage and resolve. I am proud to stand here today and join you in your calls for a just, peaceful and a lasting solution which puts the past firmly in the past and enables all of us to look forward with confidence to a brighter, securer and happier future. Our best wishes, support and prayers are with you.”

A Memorial Event was organised the next day at the House of Commons, supported by the All Party Parliamentary Group of British Hindus, co-sponsored by Bob Blackman MP (Harrow East) and Virendra Sharma MP (Southall & Ealing), to offer tribute to the martyrs of the forced exodus.

The KPCS, UK have compiled a book of first person accounts of victims of the exodus, living in England called “We Remember: 19.01.1990”. This was released by Bob Blackman MP (Harrow East) and Barry Gardiner MP (Brent North). 

“It has been 25 years, and yet the camps into which Kashmiri Pandits were forced remain. There have been no reparations made for the brutal ethnic cleansing that was perpetrated. It hasn't been easy for community members here in the UK to openly speak of the atrocities they personally experienced and the hardship they continue to endure as a result, so it is very important that Hindus have a voice. We must not forget what happened and that their suffering continues to this day,” said Bob Blackman MP listening intently to the first person accounts of the victims of the exodus.

A special screening of a poignant film, “Abandoned Cranes” was held. The film is made by a young Indian law student & film maker, Siddhartha Acharya (23 years old) who captured the factual sequences of events during the exodus –an attempt to document facts of the Kashmiri Hindus’ displacement. The film features interviews of the likes of Mark Tully, Francois Gautier, Jagmohan, some millitants and key Kashmiri Hindu and other activists. 

 

At the Memorial Event, Ahmed Burjus, a member of the Yezdi community, spoke about the plight of the Yezdis and their ethnic extermination. Representatives of Bangladeshi Hindu community shared their stories too and the hapless, helpless state they are currently in. Both, starkingly similar to that of the Kashmiri Hindus plight. Adding to the discussion, Manu Khajuria (Ms) represented the Dogras, another Hindu community in the state of Jammu & Kashmir.

A solemn reflection and sharing of personal experiences provided for the first time a formal platform, for the recognition of ethnic extermination of minority Hindus around the world. “It is very important for the international community to recognise and accept that the genocide of the Kashmiri Hindus is infact a matter of global concern – it ought to be acknowledged and justice sought and delivered accordingly,” says Lakshmi Kaul, Founder and Executive Member, Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society UK.

Messages of solidarity and support were sent in to the Kashmiri Hindu community from prominent members of the ethnic Indian community. 

“The Kashmiri Pandit community, though small in numbers is renowned across the world for its peaceful and loving nature. They continue to represent hope for other minority communities who have faced similar hardships. I too have been a victim of exile, having been exiled from Uganda in 1972 by the brutal dictator Idi Amin. If there is one thing that I have learnt from my experience, then that is to stand up and speak out against persecution of any kind,” said Lord Dolar Popat, Government Whip, Lord-in-Waiting and Spokesman for Business, Innovation and Skills and Transport.

Trupti Patel, President of Hindu Forum of Britain said, “HFB stands hand in hand with our Kashmiri Hindu brothers and sisters. We must not forget thousands of Hindus who lost their life and also those who suffered horrific atrocities during the ethnic cleansing of Kashmir.”

Contact:

Lakshmi Kaul

Founder & Executive Member, Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society
www.kpcsuk.org
Email: lakshmikaul@kpcsuk.org
Twitter: @KPCSUK

Peace Walk @ Trafalgar Square on 18 Jan 2015

Memorial Event @ House of Commons on 19 January 2015

Team@KPCS Wishes you a Very Happy New Year 2015