User:Lorstaking/Lost Kashmiri History

Lost Kashmiri History (LKH) is an effort to preserve memories through the creation of an archival repository. Initially it consisted of three Kashmiris who came together to start the initiative, but now it has expanded to a large number of anonymous volunteers and contributors.

Background
Kashmiri history does not feature in Indian school history textbooks. Gaw Kadal Massacre, one of the bloodiest massacres in the twentieth century India was isolated from the history in Indian school books as compared to say the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The history of Kashmir is also taught differently in both Pakistan and India,  with little consideration to what Kashmiris actually want or how Kashmiris document their history.

The founders of Lost Kashmiri History realized this and were troubled by this discrepancy in recording history. The founders and many contributors keep their names as anonymous as possible for the reasons of safety and unwanted attention.

Apart from the discrepancies in recording history Lost Kashmiri History has been started due to:"memories of living under guns, breathing teargas, facing pellets, receiving bullets, getting killed in crossfire, being passed as collateral damage, parading and card checking in crackdowns, bodies disintegrating in interrogation camps [...] Memory of what the mercenaries perpetrated on us, robbed us of our cultural values, seized our language, appropriated our aspirations, sugarcoated our demands, covered up their crimes [...] Memory of cutting our thumbs, throwing shoes at the emperors, chanting slogans, trampling occupiers, resorting to gun, pelting stones, erecting banners, marching together; our unabated resistance that we are proud of. Lost Kashmir History is an initiative to memorise the saga of occupation and oppression. To remember the valiance and bravadoes of our resistance. To celebrate our heroes. To cherish our struggle. And move closer to our dream of a just society. Ever since the thumping jackboots of a post-colonial warmonger landed on the sacred vale of Kashmir, and their predecessors before them; a procession of memory set in. Year after year; decade after decade; this memory multiplies. Memory of foreign invaders plundering our resources, building their forts, coercing us into forced labour, taxing our produce, riding our backs across mountains, starving us to death, snatching our lands, sabotaging our culture, demonising our religion; all culminating in what we are today — an embodiment of pain and oppression."

Social media
Despite the criticism, Lost Kashmiri History is active on the social media and actively contributes to oral history documentation as well as compiling unbiased reviews for public viewing both in print and video format. Documentation by Lost Kashmiri History is often shared anonymously, and author articles are used and printed by newspapers and news portals such as The Wire, The New Arab, Kashmir Global, With Kashmir, and Kashmir Awareness. The yearly reviews have also been shared extensively through WhatsApp.

Website
On the 27th anniversary of Gaw Kadal Massacre, Lost Kashmiri History launched a website allowing crowd sourcing of lost historical facts and events related to Kashmir. Lost Kashmiri History lists the goal of the platform is to enable researchers, academicians and most of all people of Kashmir to discover their true roots as one of the goals.