Samay Raina says his grandfather was on a kill list, recalls Kashmiri Pandit exodus
Samay Raina said his grandfather was on a hit list during the Kashmiri Pandit exodus and revealed how Kashmiri Muslims helped his family escape.
Comedian Samay Raina recently shared a personal account of the 1990 Kashmiri Pandit exodus, revealing that his grandfather was on a list of people marked to be killed, and how local Kashmiri Muslims helped his family escape.
Speaking on the Dostcast podcast, Raina opened up about the traumatic period, highlighting the role of community goodwill in saving their lives during a time of fear and uncertainty.
He said, “My grandfather was on the list to be killed because he was a very prominent doctor in the village. Back then, letters would be circulated saying who would be killed the next day.”
Raina recalled the panic within the family after receiving the threat. "My mother fainted when that letter came saying my grandfather would be killed. My grandmother fainted too. My aunt was the brave one — she quietly went to the clinic where my grandfather worked," he said.
Luckily, Raina said, his grandfather had a lot of goodwill in the village, and local Kashmiri Muslims helped the family escape. "They said nothing would happen to him because he had done so much for people," he shared.
“It was the Kashmiri Muslims who helped my grandfather get out of that situation,” he said.
"You lose your entire identity"
Raina also spoke about the long-term impact of the exodus on Kashmiri Pandits.
“It really affects you, you lose your entire childhood, your entire identity. All Kashmiri Pandits had to leave. Kashmiri Pandits don’t have a place that gives them a sense of belonging,” he said.
He added that people of his generation feel scared to even return to Kashmir, while their parents share a bittersweet relationship with the place. He recalled that when his mother went back after many years, she became very emotional, but broke down after seeing that nothing was left. The experience turned into a painful memory for her.
The comedian further said that the family fled overnight, believing it would only be temporary. They packed their belongings and left expecting to return in two weeks, but it has now been 25 years.
"Kashmir Pandit wisdom"
Earlier, on his stand-up special, Still Alive, Raina connected the experience to a broader philosophy of survival. “You only fight when the fight is fair. When the fight is not fair you f**k off from there: Kashmir Pandit wisdom.”
He further explained the reasoning behind this perspective: “We Pandits were only 5 per cent in Kashmir. If we had taken up arms, my parents (if they chose to) fight for our motherland, everyone would have died. I am glad that they chose to leave, at least we are alive, living and rocking it.”
Raina also addressed the fallout from the India’s Got Latent controversy in the special, linking his decision-making to lessons drawn from his community’s past, emphasising survival and pragmatism over confrontation.