Who Was Tika Lal Taploo & Why BJP Named Its ‘Ghar Wapsi' Scheme For Kashmiri Pandits’ After Him?
In its manifesto for Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, BJP addressed its core vote bank — the Kashmiri Pandits — by promising their ‘ghar wapsi’ via the Tika Lal Taploo Visthapit Samaj Punarvas Yojana (TLTVSPY), if and when they form the government.
Tika Lal Taploo (1930 – 14 September 1989) was an advocate and politician from Jammu and Kashmir. He was the vice-president of Bharatiya Janata Party in Jammu and Kashmir and also an active member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
Taploo was born in Srinagar. He graduated from Panjab University and done his Masters in Arts and LLB from Aligarh Muslim University. Later, he moved back to his state and practised as an advocate in Jammu and Kashmir High Court.
He was reportedly assassinated by militants from Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) during the peak of unrest.
Terrorist Javed Ahmed Mir alias Javed Nalka was believed to be behind the murder of Tika Lal Taploo.
His was shot dead just days after an earlier failed assassination attempt. His death triggered the mass exodus of nearly 97 per cent of the Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley over the subsequent years.
To commemorated his martyrdom, Kashmiri Pandit community observes September 14 as “Martyrdom Day”.
Taploo’s connection with BJP and RSS, as well as his enduring legacy among Kashmiri Pandits, made him a fitting figure for scheme's name.
By invoking Taploo’s memory, the BJP is aiming to reinforce its bond with the Kashmiri Pandit community.