The mass migration of Kashmiri Pandits in 1989 from the valley has weakened the unique cultural identity of non-migrant Kashmiri Pandits who decided to stay in the valley despite mass migration. Before migration they were living with other communities. The bond between the Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmiri Muslims was very strong. There were very warm feelings for each other and there was psychological bonding between the two communities. The collective identity of both the communities does not exist now. There is very less interaction between the members of both the communities which has led to the vanishing of old ties. The young generation of both the communities is unaware of that Milchaar and Baichara. The old generation of this community either has become very old and helpless or expired. The new generation of this community is totally unaware of the time when both the communities lived together. Based on a sample of 150 respondents selected from Srinagar and Budgam districts of Kashmir valley, the study examines the impact of mass migration on the cultural identity of non- migrant Kashmiri Pandits. A stratified random sampling technique was used to collect information from non-migrant Kashmiri Pandits. For the present study, an explorative research design was used. This paper provides useful insights into the impact of mass migration on the cultural identity of non-migrant Kashmiri Pandits.
