Kashmiri pandits 5

Then it was the turn of Afgani Pathans to unleash their quota of  terror on the  common masses of Kashmir particularly the Kashmiri pandits , who were not of their faith by relgion. It was the most trying period for Kashmiri pandits who were terrorized ,tormented and no adjective of infamy and notoreity was spared to treat them adversely.  They were taken for granted and all the agonies and abuses were hurled upon them for the fun and frolic of then rulers of Kashmir.
One of the pathan rulers would not like to take his  daily Lunch unless few Kashmiri pandits were not drowned in the Dal  lake. Maunds of janevu threads were recovered from Dal Lake later on. Any pathan would ask a Kashmiri pandit to give him a ride for the sake of fun.  He would ride on his shoulders and hold his Shikha to balance himself and take a  ride.  It gave birth to a saying in Kashmir ' Bat chuk te  Atta dit ' I.e. you are a Kashmiri pandit give me a ride.  An earthen pot filled with human refuse was kept on the head of  Kashmiri pandit  and  was aimed  at with a stone by a Pathan to break it.  All the filth would role over the face and body of Kasmiri pandit  to the amusement of  latter.
It was customary on  the part of Kashmiri pandits to make their houses with very small gates,which were called 'pilavs' so as not to allow pathans to enter  their homes because it was below dignity for a pathan to enter a gate by bending his back and that too on horse ride. Pathans usually avoided such gates.
It was how the steel was tempered. It was just like treading on Agnipath'. It was the test of their patience,perseverance and faith. The Kashmiri Hindus  who could not bear this agony either died or  got converted  to Islam or fled away from Kashmir to protect their religion. The legacy of  persons who stood to the test  and wrote history on the sands of time is represented by the present community of Kashmiri pandits.
Later on  some Kashmiri pandits went to Punjab on foot and asked for the help of Maharaja of Punjab who obliged them and saved Kashmir from Pathan invaders and once again Kashmir became a place worth living for Kashmiri Pandits.
Then most of the Kashmiri pandits who had left Kashmir earlier returned to Kashmir, alongwith some southern Brahmins , after three hundred years of sepearation from it.
The Kashmiri pandits who remained in Kashmir and who returned  to Kashmir  after three hundred years were classified in to ' Malmasis ' and  'Banmasis' respectively.
As the history has tendency to repeat itself and by the grace of our sanskars and genes ,which we have inherited,  it is not impossible for us to return to  Kashmiir with all dignity and honour some day. It now depends on our will ,unity and perseverance.
The Kashmir was then purchased by Mahraja Gulab Singh ruler of Jammu, who was once  commanding the army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of punjab, at the cost of seventy five lakh rupees from Britishers. The Kashmiri pandits  lived a good life and enjoyed  atleast the freedom of religion in Dogra Shahi.
After independence of India Kashmir got annexed with India by signing the annexation treaty with India by last Dogra King of Jammu and Kashmir Mahraja Hari Singh.
To be concluded in 3rd part.....