Kashmiri Pandits mark Balidan Diwas in Jammu; reiterate ‘genocide’ recognition, homeland demands

Displaced Kashmiri Pandits on Monday (September 14, 2026) observed the 36th 'Balidan Diwas' in Jammu, paying homage to members of the community and security personnel who lost their lives to violence and terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir .

The community reiterated its demand for legal recognition of the violence against and displacement of Kashmiri Pandits as "genocide" and called for the establishment of a separate homeland in the Valley under direct Union protection.

The programme was organised by Panun Kashmir, a representative body of migrant Kashmiri Hindus, with participants wearing black armbands as a mark of remembrance. A "Veer Jyoti", dedicated to the memory of community members and security personnel who laid down their lives, was lit and later taken to the sacred Bhadrakali Temple at Thalwal, on the outskirts of Jammu, where it was installed as the "Amar Jyoti".