Kashmiri Pandits Return to Kupwara After Article 370 Abrogation

Following the abrogation of Article 370, displaced Kashmiri Pandits have begun returning to Kupwara in the Kashmir Valley. Families who left during the 1990 exodus say the situation has improved. One returnee stated, “We left here in the 1990s and settled in Jammu, but our hearts have always remained connected to our home in Kashmir. After the removal of Article 370, we got the chance to return. The situation is not the same as before and I believe there have been many positive changes with the new government.”

Local residents welcome the return. Engineer Shahid ul Islam Wani said, “The Kashmiri Pandit community has not only returned to Kupwara but is also working here as teachers, engineers, and clerks.” Dr. Fida Hussain added that such returns strengthen social harmony, citing a Pandit family that opened a business outlet in Handwara as a sign of growing trust and normalcy. Residents note increased participation of Pandits in government offices and temples, viewing the trend as a hopeful sign for the valley’s future.

The return of these families is being seen as an indicator of changing conditions in the region since the policy shift, though broader rehabilitation of the displaced community remains a work in progress.