“The Kashmir Files,” a film directed by Vivek Agnihotri, has shed light on the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits and their subsequent exodus from the valley in 1990. The film has resonated with audiences and brought attention to the truth and suffering endured by the Kashmiri Hindus. Among the harrowing incidents during that time, one of the most shocking was the brutal rape and murder of Girija Tickoo, a Kashmiri Pandit. Girija was subjected to unimaginable violence, including being gang-raped and dismembered while still alive using a mechanical saw.
The Tikoo family during happier times (image courtesy: Girija Tikoo’s nice Sidhi Raina’s Instagram account)
After remaining silent for over three decades, Girija’s family has now decided to speak up about the incident. Sidhi Raina, Girija’s niece, shared a heartfelt post on Instagram, expressing how her family continues to seek justice and urging everyone to watch the movie. Sidhi described the horrors experienced by Girija and how the film portrays the terrifying nights endured by her family and every Kashmiri Pandit family.
In her post, Sidhi wrote, “My father’s sister, Girija Tickoo, was a librarian at a university. On her way back from collecting her paycheck, the bus she was traveling on was stopped, and what followed still haunts me—shivers, tears, and nausea. My aunt was forcibly taken into a taxi with five men, one of whom was her colleague. They subjected her to torture, rape, and ultimately brutally murdered her by cutting her alive with a carpenter saw. Imagine being the brother who had to identify his sister, Babli, who was innocent in this gruesome battle of total hypocrisy.”
The narrative surrounding Girija’s tragic fate serves as a painful reminder of the atrocities suffered by Kashmiri Pandits during that period and the ongoing quest for justice.
Raina expressed her astonishment at the lack of discussion surrounding the incident, stating that her father had shared how every brother carried a burden of shame and anger due to the absence of justice for Girija Tickoo, her aunt. Raina passionately urged everyone to watch “The Kashmir Files” and encouraged them to bring along their friends and family.
The case of Girija Tickoo is a heartbreaking one. Girija, a Kashmiri Hindu from Bandipora, worked as a laboratory assistant in a university in the Kashmir Valley. Following the ‘Azadi Movement’ led by the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, headed by Yasin Malik, Girija and her family fled and resettled in Jammu. However, she received a call one day, assuring her that the situation in the valley had improved and it was safe for her to return to collect her salary.
Trusting the information provided, Girija decided to visit the valley in June 1990. She met her local Muslim colleague at her home, unaware that she was being monitored by jihadist terrorists. Tragically, Girija was kidnapped from her colleague’s home, with onlookers, including her colleague and people in the locality, remaining silent.
After a few days, Girija’s lifeless body was discovered by the roadside in a horrifying state. The autopsy revealed that she had been brutally gang-raped and subjected to severe torture. Shockingly, she had been dismembered with a mechanical saw while still alive, the gruesome act cutting her body in half.
Girija’s family, like countless other Kashmiri Pandits, continues to seek justice for their loved ones. Unfortunately, the suffering endured by the Kashmiri Pandits has often been dismissed as “propaganda” by sections of the liberal media and society, adding to the frustration and longing for justice felt by the affected families.
Girija Tickoo, a Kashmiri Hindu from Bandipora, worked as a laboratory assistant in a university in the Kashmir Valley. During the 1990 genocide of Kashmiri Pandits, she and her family fled from Kashmir and settled in Jammu. One day, Girija received a call from someone who claimed that the situation in the valley had improved and it was safe for her to return to collect her salary. She was assured of safety and persuaded to travel back.
In June 1990, Girija went to the valley to collect her salary and visited her local Muslim colleague at her home. Unbeknownst to her, jihadist terrorists were monitoring her movements. Girija was abducted from her colleague’s home and taken to an undisclosed location. Shockingly, everyone present, including her colleague and people in the vicinity, silently witnessed her being taken away.
Why was Kashmiri Hindu, Girija Tickoo, sawn in half ? Why did they gouge 8 year old Kavita’s eyes ? Because Islamists use barbarity to instil fear & make people flee territories they wish to dominate:
— Pt. Satish K. Sharma
https://youtu.be/O6UCIvQUEqc
अगवा कर गैंगरेप किया, फिर आरी से चीर दिया… कश्मीर फाइल्स के बाद गिरिजा टिक्कू की भतीजी ने याद दिलाई वो रूह कँपाने वाली घटना
She was subjected to a brutal gang rape by the terrorists and then cut alive with a mechanical saw. Her body was cruelly divided into two pieces from the middle and discarded.
Girija Tickoo’s family currently resides in America. For many years, the incident remained unspoken within the family, but after watching the film “The Kashmir Files,” the entire family of Girija Tickoo was moved to tears. Following the film, Girija Devi’s niece shared a post expressing that her family is still awaiting justice.
About The Author
