In 1981 census there were about 124,078 Hindus in valley, bulk of them KP. Just 3.96 % of whole Kashmir valley population of about 31 Lakh. Down from 5 % pre-47 [In 1941 only about 85000 KPs were living in valley]. In 1981, 59449 Hindus were in Srinagar of total population of 708328. Thus about 8.39 % of Srinagar was Hindu down from 10.02% of 1971 [56,566/564,314]. In 1981, additional 0.96 of Srinagar was non-Muslim [bulk of them about 6,334 Sikhs].
Breakup of Hindus in other districts of valley.
Anantnag 24,731/656,351 = 3.76%
Pulwama 10,096/404,078 = 2.49%
Badgam 9,642/367,262. = 2.62 %
Baramula 13,513/670,142. = 2.01% [ Additional 9,806 Sikhs, this being the district with their highest presence]
Kupwara 6,647/328,743. = 2%
According to South Asia Terrorism Portal, based on media reports, in 1990 about 862 civilians were killed [According to MEA, 461 civilians killed in 1990. FIR in not more than 30+ cases] Of these about 177 were Hindu; a disproportionate 20%.
J&K State govt. figure for killed KPs in 3 decades is 216. Kashmir based KP body now gives the number as 670. Bulk of these are from year 1990. A KP civil organization in early 90s gives names, location of killed Hindus, mostly KPs. 298 killed in 1990. Of them 127 in Srinagar. Between 1987- March 1990, only 10 KPs assassinated. Yet, friends and foes alike warn of the doom impending. March onward KPs start leaving from valley. Killings start. April there is almost 1 KP killed each day. Bulk of KP leave by April. In summer 1990 genocide launched on few remaining KPs and those staying to work, May-June-July, 2 KPs killed each day. And this when bulk of 1 Lakh+ KPs had already left. By end of September 1990 KP genocide complete with change in demography of valley as only handful KPs remain who spend next few decades as nothing more than hostages.
The demographic profile of KPs tells us if KPs had stayed on and killings continued in same pattern (as later mass massacres in valley showed rate would have been much worse and no one would have been bothered), the community did not have the no. to sustain a healthy population and would have been annihilated.
In 1981, KP ethnic group had the highest no. of elderly per 100 among all the communities in entire state. It also has the lowest children per 100 among all the communities[ 0-14 years (28 percent)]. They had more old people and lesser children than any community percentage wise. It is profile of a community that on surface looks healthy but a community that is shrinking in a hostile environment but optimizing for survival by the only way it knows, adapting to modern ways. This progressive community after 100 years of struggle now had the best ratio of men to women working in state. For every 2 working men there was 1 woman. 86.6 percent women. 86.6 percent women were educated as compared to 84.5 men.
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Ref:
A Demographic Profile of the People of Jammu and Kashmir. M.K. Bhasin and Shampa Nag. J. Hum. Ecol., 13 (1-2): 1-55 (2002)
1981 Census Report
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124,078 KP may seem a small number. But, you just have to compare with right figure.
In 1981, 68376 was population of buddhists in Leh + Kargil. In 1941, the total population of the region now known as Union territory of Ladakh was about 40000 [compare with 85000 KPs in valley in 41 ]. In 1947-48, it is this Ladakh that also Pakistani forces tried to annihilate and claim. In 2011, Ladakh’s total population grew to about 274000 (H+M+Oth). And they are now a union territory. Free. By that account, it is very convincing to believe that since 1947 about 6 Lakh KPs are now floating internally displaced persons with no territory. Numbers hostage to fractions and percentage of whole valley. That should help people understand what has actually happened to Kashmiri pandits. Today there are about 6000 KPs in Kashmir.
