Tika Lal Taploo was the first Kashmiri Hindu to be killed by the Kashmiri terrorists of the 1990 genocide of pandits, know about his biography, family, age
Tika Lal Taploo, a 59-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party politician and a renowned Kashmiri Pandit known for his devotion to the community and nation, was brutally killed in broad daylight on September 14, 1989.
The Kashmir Files, a recently released film, has reopened historic scars of injustices suffered by Kashmiri Pandits in the Kashmir valley. Those who were murdered and forced to flee the valley are still yearning for justice after 32 years.
Tika Lal Taploo Kashmiri Pandit Story, Biography, Age, Family, And Death In Kashmir
On September 14th, Martyrdom Day is commemorated in honour of Taploo, the first Kashmiri Hindu to be killed by the first generation of Kashmiri terrorists of the 1990 insurgency.
It is said that the assassination of Tika Lal Taploo sparked a flood of Kashmiri Hindu migration that resulted in the deaths of large numbers of Kashmiri Hindus, with millions fleeing the valley as Islamists demanded that they convert, leave, or be killed.
Who Is Tika Lal Taploo?
Tika Lal Taploo was born in the year 1930 and raised in the Muslim-dominated Habba Kadal Constituency of Jammu & Kashmir. Despite this, the majority of the population in the region liked and adored him.
Taploo, also known as ‘Lalaji,’ was a brave man who stood up to unite the valley’s people together as terror organisations attempted to sow trouble. His popularity, as well as the fact that he was a BJP leader, made him a target.
His wife, Sarla Taploo, a schoolteacher, was his only survivor. She then joined the BJP and ran in the valley’s Assembly election. Sarla died on December 30, 2021, 32 years after her husband was murdered at the age of 59.
His Education And Career
In 1945, he graduated from Punjab University, then in 1958, he earned his MALLB from Aligarh Muslim University. Initially, he and other Kashmiri Pundits were denied admittance to the university. He sat through the demonstration that resulted in his admittance.
He later joined the Kashmir Bar Association after finishing his post-graduate studies in law and struggled mightily for justice. He was enrolled on the Jammu and Kashmir High Court as an advocate in 1971.
How Did He Die?
On a tragic day, Lalaji was on his way to the High Court when he spotted a neighbour’s child who was screaming for some stationery. He smiled as he gave over Rs 5 money and went to work. He had just proceeded a few metres when he was accosted by three men wearing masks.
One of them (Javed Ahmed Mir alias Javed Nalka) approached Taploo, pulled out his weapon, and shot him dead before anyone could respond. They continuously fired eight bullets. The news of his demise spread like wildfire, shocking the entire country.
According to reports, Taploo’s murder was well-planned, and the assailants were aware of his daily routine. The murder was thought to have been carried out in retribution for Taploo’s attempts to provide bricks and finances for the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
Taploo’s funeral procession was accompanied by top figures like LK Advani, Kedar Nath Sahni, and others.
Hundreds of thousands of Kashmiri Hindus marched in the parade to honour the revered Kashmiri Hindu leader. Miscreants and members of the terrorist organisation JKLF attempted but failed, to disturb the parade by throwing stones.
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