MP CM praises ‘The Kashmir Files’, says his govt will provide land for ‘genocide museum’

Saying that the film ‘The Kashmir Files’ shows the pain and sufferings of the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday said his government will provide land for setting up a `genocide museum’ in the state.

Chouhan planted saplings at the Smart City Park here along with Vivek Agnihotri, the writer and director of the film, and a few members of the Kashmiri Pandit community who have settled down in Bhopal. “The world came to know about the pain and sufferings of Pandit families displaced from Kashmir (through the film). Vivek Agnihotri has suggested that there should be a `genocide museum’ in Madhya Pradesh. Our government will provide land and necessary help for this,” Chouhan told reporters later.

He also praised Agnihotri for his ‘courage’ for handling the issue of the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir in the early 1990s when Pakistan-backed militants targeted the community. “It is a bold act to bring out the pain of our Kashmiri Pandit brothers and sisters which had never come before the world. I salute the courage of Vivek Agnihotri,” Chouhan said. Earlier, Agnihotri spoke about setting up a “genocide museum” here.

“India has been a symbol of humanity. We will become `Vishwa Guru’ only through our identity of humanity. Madhya Pradesh is a land of peace-loving people. If we are allowed to build a genocide museum here, it will become a symbol of humanity for the entire world,” he told reporters.

Thanking Chouhan for exempting the film from entertainment tax, Agnihotri said he belongs to Bhopal while his wife and actor Pallavi Joshi, who features in the film, belongs to Indore.