Tags: #KashmirFiles, #KashmirConflict, #KashmirPeace, #RightToSelfDetermination, #IndependentJournalism
Few Indian films in recent memory have ignited as much debate, emotion, and controversy as The Kashmir Files. Released in 2022, the film re-ignited global conversations about one of South Asia’s most sensitive, complex, and often misunderstood tragedies—the 1990 exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Kashmir Valley. As the movie continues to make headlines, it is crucial to examine the facts, the political narratives, and the lived realities on the ground, especially for an international audience seeking balanced, independent information on the subject.
The Kashmir Files is a Hindi-language drama film written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri. The movie claims to depict the events that led to the mass migration of Kashmiri Pandits—a minority Hindu community—from the Kashmir Valley during the early 1990s. The exodus, which saw an estimated 60,000–100,000 families leave their ancestral homes, is widely acknowledged as one of the most painful chapters in the region’s modern history.
The story follows Krishna Pandit, a young student and the son of a murdered Kashmiri Pandit, as he uncovers the traumatic past of his family and community. Through a series of dramatic flashbacks, the film portrays the rising violence of the late 1980s and early 1990s, the assassination of prominent Pandit figures, threats from armed militants, and the eventual forced migration of the Pandit community from their homes in the Valley.
The film’s core narrative is that the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits was not only ignored by the Indian state and media at the time, but is still underrepresented in the national discourse. It asserts that the tragedy was a targeted campaign of violence, and accuses both political actors and sections of civil society of deliberate silence or complicity. The movie positions itself as a “truth-telling” project aimed at correcting a perceived historical injustice and giving voice to a marginalized community.
There is little doubt that the exodus and the violence suffered by Kashmiri Pandits in 1989–1990 were real, tragic, and deserving of acknowledgment. Thousands lost their homes, many lost their lives, and an entire community was uprooted, with most Pandits never returning to their homeland. The trauma of displacement, loss of cultural roots, and the struggle for justice remains a lived reality for many.
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Survivor accounts and human rights documentation, including those by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, confirm that the community suffered targeted violence, intimidation, and a climate of fear that made continued residence in the Valley untenable. The pain of this exodus is an essential part of Kashmir’s collective memory and should not be minimized or forgotten.
While the film’s attempt to highlight the suffering of Kashmiri Pandits is seen by some as a long-overdue reckoning, The Kashmir Files has also attracted serious criticism—from film critics to international human rights organizations and local Kashmiris.
Many reviewers and civil society voices argue that the movie is less a nuanced portrayal of history and more a dramatized, emotionally charged narrative that risks deepening communal divides. Critics point out that the film offers little context about the wider conflict in Kashmir, the suffering of other communities including Kashmiri Muslims, or the multi-sided nature of violence in the region.
Political leaders and parties across India have openly used the film to further their own agendas, screening it for lawmakers and using its narrative to justify contemporary policies in Kashmir. This has led to accusations that the film is being used as a tool of political mobilization rather than as a vehicle for reconciliation or justice.
International media, including the BBC and other reputable outlets, have reported that both Indian and Pakistani state-controlled media often distort, omit, or selectively highlight aspects of the Kashmir conflict to fit national narratives. As a result, the ground reality—the complexity of local experiences, and the voices of ordinary Kashmiris—are often drowned out.
Despite decades of conflict, the overwhelming majority of Kashmiris—irrespective of religion—aspire for peace, dignity, and communal harmony (bhaichara). The rich tradition of Kashmiriyat, a unique blend of spiritual tolerance, coexistence, and cultural unity, continues to be a defining feature of the Valley.
Local Kashmiris have repeatedly emphasized that the region’s long history of brotherhood is rarely depicted in mainstream or state-controlled media. Positive stories—from joint Hindu-Muslim festivals, to ordinary acts of kindness and solidarity—often go unreported due to lack of independent global media access and the prevalence of “conflict-centric” journalism.
Even during the turbulent 1990s, many Kashmiri Muslims risked their lives to shelter Pandit neighbors. These stories, while documented by local NGOs and some independent researchers, seldom make international headlines.
A recurring critique by neutral observers and local journalists is that independent journalism in Kashmir is increasingly under threat, with both Indian and Pakistani authorities curbing press freedom, restricting movement, and sometimes detaining reporters. This lack of unfiltered access contributes to the polarization of narratives and the marginalization of authentic Kashmiri voices.
A key omission in The Kashmir Files—and much of the popular discourse—is the complex nature of Kashmir’s armed conflict. While the suffering of Pandits is undisputed, the origins of the insurgency and the identity of its sponsors are often contested and politicized.
Most independent analysts, as well as credible international organizations, agree that while the Kashmiri insurgency had local roots, especially in its earliest phase, it rapidly became a proxy conflict. By the early 1990s, the majority of armed groups operating in the Valley were sponsored, trained, or funded by state and non-state actors from both sides of the Line of Control (LoC).
The United States Institute of Peace, BBC, and Human Rights Watch have all reported that Pakistan’s intelligence agencies and militant organizations played a significant role in arming and training insurgents from the early 1990s onwards. Simultaneously, the Indian state’s heavy-handed militarized response led to widespread allegations of human rights abuses against ordinary Kashmiris.
The 1990s insurgency, therefore, was not a purely indigenous uprising; it was shaped and amplified by regional power politics. The biggest victims have consistently been ordinary civilians—Kashmiri Pandits, Muslims, and Sikhs alike—caught between militants, security forces, and political interests.
The demand for the Right to Self-Determination remains central to the aspirations of many Kashmiris. International law, including multiple United Nations resolutions, recognizes the principle that the people of Jammu & Kashmir have the right to determine their own political future through a free, transparent, and democratic process.
As an independent news platform, The Azadi Times reaffirms its support for this principle—while also acknowledging that the road to a just solution must be paved with dialogue, empathy, and the acknowledgment of all communities’ pain.
In a region where state narratives on both sides often overshadow facts, there is an acute need for responsible, impartial, and evidence-based journalism. The Azadi Times is committed to reporting the lived realities of all Kashmiris, amplifying marginalized voices, and pushing back against propaganda—regardless of its origin.
We do not subscribe to nationalist or state-controlled narratives, and we urge our readers and the global community to seek out multiple perspectives, verify information, and approach the Kashmir conflict with an open, critical mind.
The Kashmir Files has succeeded in sparking a national and global conversation about the Kashmiri Pandit exodus—a story that certainly deserves attention, dignity, and justice. However, the film’s limited perspective and politicization of pain risk deepening old wounds rather than healing them.
The lived reality of Kashmir is far more complex than any film or media narrative can convey. The region’s history is marred by tragedy, but also illuminated by countless stories of resilience, brotherhood, and hope.
The international community, policymakers, and the media must recognize that:
- Kashmir is not merely a site of conflict, but a living society with deep traditions of harmony and coexistence.
- All communities—Pandits, Muslims, Sikhs, and others—have suffered and have stories that need to be told.
- A just and lasting solution can only emerge from dialogue, truth-telling, and respect for the Right to Self-Determination.
- Responsible journalism must rise above state narratives and give voice to ordinary Kashmiris.
As debates over films like The Kashmir Files continue, let us remember that justice for one community cannot come at the expense of another. Healing the wounds of the past requires empathy, truth, and a commitment to peace and reconciliation.
The Azadi Times will continue to report on Kashmir with integrity, independence, and respect for all its people—because only by acknowledging every narrative can we move towards understanding, justice, and lasting peace.
