KASHMIRI PANDIT ORAL HISTORIES

Central to Project Zuv is the creation of a repository of Kashmiri Pandit Oral Histories— an important step in preserving the resilient narratives of a community that has endured unimaginable loss and displacement. As the generation who has witnessed the exodus ages, their stories and memories — their accounts of hope, survival, and unwavering strength— are at a risk of being lost forever. These stories are not just their memories, but living threads that tie us to the past. They are the core of who we are and where we come from. Being a kid who wasn't born in Kashmir but regards it as her only home— everything I know about Kashmir and what it is to me is from the stories and memories of our elders, without those I would have never even had the chance to know where I come from. 

This archive aims to act as a guardian of these precious accounts, ensuring that the voices of those who have lived through these tumultuous times are immortalised through documentation. These narratives are a testament to the strength of the Kashmiri Pandit community, a guiding light for future generations to remind them of their rich heritage and tie them back to their roots, so that they too have the chance of knowing who they are. Without preserving these histories, our community and its future generations are at a risk of losing their connection to the past. Without these preserved stories, we lose a part of ourself that is so intrinsic to the existence of a human being. We lose our culture and identity. We risk being forever in that middle space of being neither here, nor there, and with it, we lose what Kashmir means to us.