About us

All India Kashmiri Samaj was formed as a support organisation for the Kashmiri Samaj, and consisted of Kashmiri Pandits living outside Kashmir. The role of the Samaj was to create a nationwide awareness campaign about the communal violence against the pandits of Kashmir. The AIKS has also been campaigning for adequate representation of Kashmiri Pandit community in state legislation and civic bodies of Jammu and Kashmir.

There was no concept of forming a community based organization of Kashmiri Pandits till the beginning of 19th century.

There were three important centres of KPs Population outside Kashmir

• Bazaar Sita Ram of Delhi (Mughal Rule)
• Kashmiri Mohalla of Lucknow (1775-1778-During the reign of Nawab Asaf-Ud- daula in Oudh)
• Vachchuwali of Lahore (During reign of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh in Punjab)

Most of them wielded considerable influence in the government as they were either employed as courtiers or big jagirdars that made them also financially better placed.

The Kashmiri Pandits of Lucknow felt the need to protect their cultural identity and to strengthen the community bonds in the event of their being away from Kashmir.

In September 1979, Justice P.N. Bakshi along with Pt. Omkar Nath Sharga paid a visit to Prof. Uma Shankar Kochak’s residence wher Pt. Prabhat Hakku was also present. Over a cup of tea, four of these persons floated the idea to form a body at the national level to bring about cultural unification and to check growing menace of inter-caste marriages in the community

A two-day historic convention was held on 8th & 9th March 1980 at the residence of Justice Shiv Nath Katju, where All India Kashmiri Samaj was formally launched.

Justice P.N Bakshi and Pt. O.N.Sharga were unanimously elected as its President and General Secretary respectively and Pt. Jyoti Mushran became its Founder Treasurer ​​​​​​