“We just want our voices heard before decisions are made”
Venkat Raman
Auckland, March 21, 2022
Hindu community groups in New Zealand have assured Muslims in New Zealand that the release of ‘The Kashmir Files’ in cinema houses will not lead to violence or disturbances in the country and that they are not responsible for the genocide that occurred 30 years ago.
About 20 leaders representing community, religious and other organisations and media representatives participated in the hour-long virtual meeting hosted by Dhansukh Lal and Dr Primla Khar, respectively, President, Auckland Indian Association and Indian Association of Manukau New Zealand.
Dr Primla and her husband Veer Khar are Kashmir Pandits, who were victims of the insurgency that occurred in the Kashmir Valley in 1989-1990. According to estimates, more than 500,000 Kashmiri Hindus were ousted from their homes and their State by Islamic militants forcing them to settle in various other parts of India and the world.
Chief Censor David Shanks is currently reviving the earlier R16 rating of the film by his office, taking into consideration the demand of Muslim leaders to ban the film altogether.
Muslim community leaders have written to the Prime Minister asking her to ban the film on the grounds that it will generate hatred and other issues in the country.
The agony of Kashmir Pandits
Sharing the agony of her fellow Pandits, Dr Primla said that the right to voice opinions and the right of their opinions to be heard is as important as having ‘The Kashmir Files’ released.
“’The Kashmir Files’ is not a fictional film as some sections of New Zealand have portrayed, It is a narration of what happened in Kashmir and my husband and I are the living proof of it. There are hundreds of thousands of people like us in New Zealand and many other parts of the world. These facts cannot be erased- they have been captured in this film,” she said.
Veer Khar showed a part of his ancestral home in Kashmir and said that he had to abandon it at the ‘command’ of militants and flee for his life.
“This happed more than 30 years ago and I still carry the pain. At last, a film producer has come out, to tell the truth. This film should be allowed to be seen by all,” he said.
Mr Khar said that Kashmiri Pandits do not have any grudge or ill-feeling towards the Muslim community here or anywhere else. “We know that people in New Zealand are not responsible for what happened in home State all those years ago. But that should stop us from speaking about the incidents,” he said.
The right to be heard
Dr Puspha Wood, a Founder of the Wellington Interfaith Council and a community leader said that the issue is not one of religion but an acknowledgement of what happened in Kashmir.
“The massacre of Kashmiri Pandits in 1989-1990 must be acknowledged. We also deserve to be heard,” she said.
Pravin Kumar, President of the Coalition of Hindus of New Zealand, said that Hindus in New Zealand have always considered members of the Muslim community as their brothers and sisters.
“We were among the first rally around our Muslim brothers and sisters when the Christchurch terrorist attacks occurred on March 15, 2019. Hindus in New Zealand will never resort to violence and we are peace-loving, law-abiding people. People like me, who were not born or raised in India would like to know about the incidents,” he said.
Former National MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi cautioned the community leaders from pre-suppositions while the Chief Censor is reviewing the decision.
“The Censor Board has received a letter from the Muslim community and it is their duty to address the concerns expressed. I am sure that the decision of the Chief Censor will be acceptable to all,” he said.
Among the other speakers were New Zealand Indian Central Association President and Immediate Past President respectively Paul Patel and Bhikhu Bhana, Auckland Indian Association President and Immediate Past-President, respectively Dhanshuk Lal and Narendra Bhana, Balu Mistry and Suresh Ramji.
