Many Kashmiri Muslims vociferously insist that the demand for independence of Kashmir has nothing to do with religion. Instead, they argue, that the conflict in and over Kashmir is essentially ‘political’. What is conveniently ignored by those who make this claim is that religion and politics, particularly in the case of the Kashmir dispute, involving as it does the rival claims of Muslim-majority Pakistan and Hindu-dominated India, can hardly be separated.
As the current spate of violence in both the Hindi-dominated Jammu division and the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley, triggered off by a controversial decision of the state government to allot a piece of land to a Hindu temple trust, so starkly indicates, religion and communal identities defined essentially in religious terms have everything to do with the basic issue of Jammu and Kashmir and its still unsettled political status. Kashmiri nationalists, in contrast to hardcore Islamists and the Hindutva brigade, quickly dismiss this point, finding it, perhaps, too embarrassing, afraid of being labeled as religious chauvinists or ‘communal’. But, no longer, it seems, can the crucial role of religion in shaping the contours of the on-going conflict in and over Kashmir be denied.
That the on-going BJP-inspired agitation in Jammu has marshaled considerable support among the Hindus of Jammu clearly indicates that the political project of Kashmiri nationalists—of a separate, independent state of Jammu and Kashmir—has absolutely no takers among the Hindus (and other non-Muslims) of the state. Kashmiri nationalists insist that in the independent Jammu and Kashmir of their dreams, religious minorities—Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists—who would account for almost a fourth of the population, would have equal rights and no cause for complaint. Some even boast, without adducing any evidence, of commanding the support of the non-Muslims of the state for their project. At the same time as they roundly berate the Dogra Raj as a long spell of slavery for the state’s Muslims, they insist that the boundaries of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, as constructed by the same Dogras, against the will of the Kashmiri Muslims, be considered as sacrosanct, as setting the borders of the independent country that they demand. If, as they argue, Dogra Raj was illegitimate, then surely there is nothing holy about the state boundaries as laid down by the Dogras, bringing Jammu and the vastly different Kashmir Valley in a forced union. If, as they rightly insist, Kashmir was conquered against its will by the Dogras of Jammu, there is no reason why the forced union of the two should continue in the independent Jammu and Kashmir that the Kashmiri nationalists dream of, particularly given the Jammu Hindus’ resentment of alleged Kashmiri hegemony, a sentiment shared even by many Jammu Muslims.
Kashmiri nationalists, however, would refuse to recognize this basic contradiction in their argument. The reason is obvious: To do so, to recognize that the Jammu’s Hindus (and Leh’s Buddhists) would resist, even to the point of violence, the agenda of an independent Jammu and Kashmir would clearly indicate the obvious, but embarrassing fact, that this agenda represents the aspirations and interests largely of Kashmiri Muslims, and is a means to legitimize Kashmir Muslim control over the rest of the state.
The analogy with pre-Partition India is useful. The Muslim League insisted that because the Hindus of India were in a numerical majority, a united, independent India, no matter what safeguards it gave and promises of equality it made to the Muslims, would be dominated by the Hindus, and would, for all its secular and democratic claims, be untrammeled Hindu Raj. Hence their demand for a separate Pakistan. The Hindus of Jammu and the Buddhists of Leh find themselves in precisely the same position as did supporters of the Muslim League in pre-Partition India, only now the actors have reversed their roles. Kashmiri nationalists insist they want an independent, united Jammu and Kashmir, just as the Congress did when it talked of a united and free India. And, like the Congress did with the Muslims, they promise the non-Muslim minorities of Jammu and Leh that their rights would be fully protected in this state of their dreams. Yet, just as many Muslims refused to accept the promises of the Congress, fearing that they would never be honored, the non-Muslim minorities in Jammu and Kashmir refuse to buy the arguments of the Kashmiri nationalists, which they rightly see as a thinly-veiled guise to justify Kashmiri hegemony.
I have heard Kashmiris, including some of my closest friends, come up with the most ingenious arguments to counter the above point. ‘Kashmiriyat, the teachings of love and peace of our Sufis, unite us all and would ensure that non-Muslim minorities will be safe and protected in a free Jammu and Kashmir’, some of them say. A laughable claim, unless all Kashmiris suddenly decide to shun the world and trod the mystical path, an unlikely prospect. Sufism is in a rapid state of decline in Kashmir and elsewhere, as is the case with all other forms of mysticism.
Then there is another bizarre argument, which I heard, among others, from none less than one of the chief ideologues of the Jamaat-e-Islami in Kashmir and a fervent backer of Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan, which runs like this: Islam lays down the rights of non-Muslims and insists that Muslims should respect them. The Prophet Muhammad himself did so. So, if Jammu and Kashmir gets freedom and becomes a truly Islamic state, the non-Muslim minorities will have full freedom and equality. That the Islamists whom he led had hardly done anything to promote anything even remotely approaching that sort of confidence among the state’s minorities—in fact doing almost everything to completely alienate them—did not even cross his mind. The late Sadullah Tantrey, once head of the Jammu branch of the Jamaat-e Islami, even went on to insist, in all seriousness, that ‘Indeed so happy will the non-Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir be in this independent Islamic state that even Hindus from India would line up to settle in the state.’ I squirmed in my seat as he went on, stunned at his evident ignorance or hypocrisy or, as seemed more likely, both. I itched to tell him, as I sat before him in his house in Gath, up in the mountains of Doda, that the ‘Islamic state’ hardly outlived the Prophet Muhammad and has been completely extinct ever since; that the fate of minorities in scores of Muslim countries, even those like Saudi Arabia that claim to be ‘Islamic’, was deplorable, that even Jinnah had promised full equality to the non-Muslim citizens of Pakistan but that had not prevented them from being reduced to virtual second-class citizens, and that, simply put, he was lying or else living in a fool’s paradise. I kept my mouth shut, however. After all, I was there to learn what his views were, not to preach.
Clearly, any forced union of the disparate nationalities in Jammu and Kashmir in the form of a separate, independent state that Kashmiri nationalists champion (as now do even some Kashmiri Islamists, former passionate advocates for union with Pakistan, who, flowing with the tide, have realized that their earlier stance has increasingly few takers among Kashmiris, given their mounting disenchantment with Pakistan) would be a sure recipe for civil war. The current agitation in Jammu is ample evidence of that. It is time, therefore, that pro-’Azadi’ Kashmiri leaders admit this publicly.
This is not, however, to plead the case for the division of the state, as the RSS has been advocating, for surely that would further harden communal boundaries and rivalries in just the same way as would the project of an independent Jammu and Kashmir. Rather, it is to recognize and publicly acknowledge the very plural character of Jammu and Kashmir, and the concerns and sensitivities of all its peoples, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and others.
Photo: Dal Lake, Kashmir
@Balajee,I agree with what you say.I meant both Jammu and Kashmir by just reffering to Kashmir.Sorry for that.
As you said.a decision taken must include voices of those pundits who have been criven away from their own land..
Afterall,im not just talking for muslims alone.Irrespective of religion on ebelongs to,all are human beings..I am talking about peace and settled living for muslims,hindus and buddhists of that land..It is easy for us to make comments about something we are not invloved in.For us what matters is secutiry of our nation,integrity of our nation and like..Whereas,people of J&K are bothered about living a day in peace and content..Its been 61 years..long time..
I hate hypocrite people who live in a nation and always keep complaining..Either you go to the nation you love/die for..else live here with your mouth shut.Even after the chance India gives to people of J&K to decide,if people still rant ‘pakistan meri jaan’,drown them in Arabian sea.
In my opinion,no seperist leader wants to join with today’s Pakistan which is on the verge of a breakdown.I guess they are just making use of people’s sentiments to meet their own selfish needs;maybe power,maybe money..I don’t know..Whatever,I feel the whole matter is just messed up by many factors including RSS,muslim fanatics,government who plays drama..My ignorant brain tells me that the whole of Amarnath issue,making an order and revoking it..its all planned drama to play with people’s sentiments as to divert attention from the dirty money business that was going on in parliement.Afterall,aam admi is a donkey for politicians.If Amarnath issue had not happened and if lot of people had not died,whole India would have been disucssing about UPA’s smartness in gaining votes in Parliment;and they don’t want that to happen,and lose votes.So maybe they thought of making fool of us,laymen donkeys.Afterall,we turned out to be donkeys,who have no brain to think and act wise.All we know is killing and get killed.
Sorry for parading my ignorance..
@Nimmy,
If that is ignorance, maybe you should parade it more…coz it looks like sane comments from a level-headed person. Especially loved the 4th para.
I just hope muslims like you who are secular in character and strong minded in your beliefs increase and become more vocal…it makes stereotyping muslims much more difficult for hardliners from other religions and makes secular people from other religion appreciate more the inner and social struggles of moderate muslims.
I second Vinod’s thoughts.
Politicians trade on the emotions of the general populace – its their currency. The more they invent/generate – more power to them.
…”Afterall,we turned out to be donkeys…..” – I repeated this statement in hindi couple of times..and couldn’t help chuckling.
AND if there is a fan club for Nimmy- I will be the first to sign up.
All we can or all we intend to do is sit in air conditioned rooms and make comments of nationalism and patriotism..Let’s continue doing that bcoz none of the below is happening to us or our family..
*thousands of civilian deaths,custody-deaths,disappearences,6000-7000 women getting raped,physical,mental and pyscological torture and much more..
So,yeah,lets continue commenting…
As a kashmiri Pandit I agree that the view of kashmiri muslims holds no water with Kashmiri pandits, Hindus in Jammu or Buddhists in Ladakh.
The issue in Kashmir is not at all about any kashmiriyat. The 2 nation theory speaks out loud there. Its only about Muslims and Islam. This given the fact that all chief ministers have been Muslim in Kashmir. The kashmiri Muslims are far more richer than average hindus. Kashmir gets free electricity and there are many facilities for the average people in Kashmir which is unthinkable in other parts of India.
The Secularists in India and Muslims in Kashmir virtually remained silent when the pandits were being killed, butchered and raped. The muslims in kashmir justified the same killings as they believed the hindus to be siding with India.
I do not want to comment on other aspects of the comments. Yes there have been excesses on the local population in kashmir. But can you continue to stone or throw acid on security men and then expect them to be gandhians. Tragedy is that Muslims who are peaceful or who are moderate are always asked to lead these rallies and the mischievious elements shoot at secuirty men from behind forcing security men to react sometimes harming the moderatists. This has been the strategy all along. Even kashmiri hindus were forced at times to lead these rallies. Incidents are abound of mass genocide of kashmiri pandits in valley. Needless to say its Extremist Islam that is playing havoc in kashmir.
My only question how can killing of these kashmiri pandits is an act of freedom?
Mahesh:
Well meaning as you are, sometimes you indulge into the habit of making sweeping generalizations. Like exonerating the entire Sangh Parivar for any faults whatsoever. Or blaming the entire Kashmiri Muslim community here for not only remaining silent but also justifying the killings just because they were Hindus. What are your references when you are making such a blatant assertion?
It is evident that Kashmiri Pundits have been the long suffering minority in the whole messed-up Kashmir issue. However, I don’t envy the situation of Kashmiri Muslims either with militants on one hand and Indian army on the other. What would you have wanted them to do? It is the government’s job to safeguard its citizens. A case certainly could be made for better partnership between citizens and the state but that is a different discussion altogether.
Using your logic the entire Gujarati community should share the blame when thousands of Muslims were killed/forced out of their homes. Or Mumbai Manus for the Babri Masjid riots in 1992?
As Mahesh is a Kashmiri Pandit, he would have been understandably traumatized by the events in Kashmir.
However, Mohib’s point is valid. Sweeping generalizations cannot be made. What a section of a community does or thinks may not be valid for the whole community.
Mohib,
I would just add to what you are saying – All INDIANS should hang their heads in shame for the anti-Sikh riots of 1984, anti-Muslim riots of 1992 & 2002, irrespective of their communal affiliation.
Even after 6 years, only a handful of the rioters have been arrested and convicted. It’s a shame for a country to lose 2000 of its citizens for no justifiable reason.
Mohib,
I did not make a generalisation. But yes there has always been an eerie silence over what has happened to the kashmiri pandits. When leaders in kashmir speak about the state of J&K as a whole they mislead the international community. And the current agitation has brought out 2 things very clearly. First the entire state is not with them and second their issue of freedom is only about Islam.
I know of many good people in the Muslim community and at times I have even brought out shortfalls in the RSS line of thinking. I do not know what makes you think that I have generalised everyone. And in between since you referred Gujarat the issue still seems to engulf every bit of Gujurati community. There is still a great hue and cry over the Gujurat riots. People justify bomb blasts killing innocent civilians in India because of that single incident and even think that they are making a great observation while making that comment.
And I did say that Kashmiri Muslims have been at the receiving end. But they are scapegoats. They are made to believe that Indian security forces killed pandits while the terrorists and seperatists are the angels of peace and love.
They run into emotional swaths and attack security forces and then cry when any reaction is triggered. Needless to say even the security forces and police people are doing their duty under orders and they have every right to protect themselves. If this was china or russia then who would have known their cries. They are misusing all their priveledges just for a false cry of azaadi. And if it is this false cry then the goverment of India now needs to focus on needs of all sections in the state.
Sridhar,
I agree with you and respect what you say. We need more and more voices like yours speaking up.
In this forum too, it will give the message that the Indian population by and large, does not entertain right wing extremism
Mahesh:
Whether two nation theory is valid or not can be a different discussion. The point is that valid or invalid, all states were given a choice to join either India or Pakistan – except for Kashmir.
I have full sympathies with the plight of Kashmiri Pundits. Just as I have full sympathies for the Hindus who had to flee Sindh and Punjab and Muslims who had to flee from Punjab and Bengal at the time of partition. However, none of them can alter the fact of partition.
Let people of Kashmir (and Jammu and Laddakh) decide where they want to go. It is the only solution.
I want all to know that we are playing a East Pakistan in Kashmir with not so cohenrent media management that the valley has effectively cut off from mainland. Set aside the Jammu Province, the traffic is being controlled from Pathankot in Punjab. My fears have come true. I used to feel absence of the Kashmiri apple on fruit shops badly, whereas the stands have even the chinese apple. Our communalism has been at it full strength when we appreciate even Chinese product but never make arrangements for the Kashmiri (Indian?) apple to be on our table. We talk about the plight of the Pandits who unfortunately were too dominant in the valley before 1989, but never alanysed as to why the 99.5% of the population (I do not ask religion) was not doing as well as the .5%. Despite the human tragedy of the Pandits leaving their home, we were quite active in providing them replacement job and even a unidersity at Jammu so that they need not do migration of courses but the administration opened a Jammu campus of the Srinagar university. The preferential treatment contnues till date that the Centre for all competitive examinations have been shifted or limited to only Jammu. One of Pandit friend told me that since 1989 the valley has systematically been neglected and that even before that, we were forced to come to Jammu, Chandigarh or even Delhi for any such small but important job of taking up exams. We need not be surpised that we hardly find a non-Pandit Kashmiri in governement job, not even in the state secretariate. Mere paying money to the rulers was the norm and we hold it as a stick to the Kashmiris now. By calling Geelani a hardliner, shepherd is not going to help our cause, neither the plea that by allowing the state to have self determination will open the pandoras box of fragmentation of the country which we call India (isnt it already a leftout after 1947 or even 1920 or even 1795.) These two arguments sufficed with the allegation of the movement there to be Islamist shows that we are at a weak pedestal. Once again, we cant get away with disintegration of the country with the excuse of Islam being a cause. Indian Muslims have been more law abiding and we need to enforce law strictly so that the weaker Indian also feels ‘belonged’. We have 60 of the ‘Weaker Indian’ out of a 100 and there is no count of their religion (They cant all be Muslims). The current state of affairs in Rajasthan having a free hand arresting Muslims for being responsible for Jaipur attack while claiming that the main culprits have already been arrested shows the malaise. The murder of a Hindu missionary who was involved for re-conversion of Christians and hence unlawful activity for 20 years and the resultant free hand by the Hindu Extremists is another example of ‘selective’ application of law and order. The Hindu missionary was doing an un-lawful activity because we cant grant a waiver of law to the Hindus just by making ‘Hinduism’ a default. Re-conversion has been practised in all parts of India while laws have been made in all states to ban forceful or coercive conversion. The ‘home coming’ is plane forceful conversion. Fortunately, the press has been overboard for voicing the christian voice which is absent whenever they are at receiving end. Here again, the action-reaction theory of ‘Hindutva Laboratory’ are being echoed. The Majority may take shelter in the argument that its the ‘Hindus’ who are fighting against the ‘hardliners’(very hard termonology by their standard) but as the ‘criminalisation’ is in the majority of the population, its afflication is at national level which is weakening the state. This shortsightedness of the majority of us Indians is saddening as we do not have any excuse after we Talibanise India which is being in practice at even State level.
Kaatib, two points.
1. From what I’ve read, the deeper issue in Orissa is one of SC/ST and the benefits because of that status. According to Indian laws, any SC converts to Christianity lose their benefits, whereas ST converts keep their benefits (from the government). Majority of Christian converts are SC, and they are trying to have their status changed to ST so that they can enjoy their benefits while being Christians. The ST community doesn’t want that to happen and is against that. So, the issue is much more than just a fight over religious conversion.
2. I don’t understand why is ‘home coming’ unlawful? What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. If Indian constitution allows Christians to target Hindus and convert them, then it also allows Hindus to target these converts and have them come back into their fold. It should be a two-way road and we can’t have different application of law based on which religion is involved – that would be unsecular. Surely you’re not proposing that Indian laws be different for different religions – that it be lawful for Christians to convert Hindus, but unlawful for Hindus to convert Christians. We’ve already seen enough trouble because of such application of laws and we need to move towards strengthening the secular fabric, not weaken it further.
India is a secular country. If Hindu missionaries are trying to win Christians to the fold of Hindusim, then they have as much of a right to do so as Christians have in converting Hindus to Christianity.
Nobody can have their cake and eat it too. This is what every community needs to realize and understand. Let everybody understand that very few countries are as accommodative as India
I read everybody’s comment ( and the article too
) and I agree that India IS an accommodative country. Nimmy’s is a GREAT stand. A lesson to learn is to get facts straight and NOT be prejudiced. But another lesson to learn is to recognize the plight of BOTH hindus and muslims…
well if am saying in favour of my country and to those who are also the sons of the same soil then its not war if its slightly rude…….
We all “Indians” must show the people of Jammu And Kashmir that what we are proud to be “Indian” in louder voice that will reach skyes.
When they say “Aazadi” we reply by uproaring “Indian”
When they say “Kashmir baneyaga pakistan” we reply by another uproar of “Indian”
They are just handful, We must prove that “WE ARE PROUD TO BE INDIAN”.
I mean I can lecture for hours as to what we have achieved, and also that we are not yet perfect. But it is the onus of this generation of us (Indians) that will erase the colored politics of Green or Safforn.
I dream of day when dont have to tell the world that we are secular and democratic,
I dream of a day when our only identity will be that we are “Indian”
And no matter where we go and what we do ( we may go to UK, America, Singapore)
LET WORLD BE JEALOUS of US (INDIANS)
Every time a question arise of any color, We have an Answer — “INDIAN” “INDIAN” “INDIAN” (period)
Lets talk about winning the world, creating new paradigms, exploring art, architecture, literature, technology, science …….. the world itself.
We are not living in DARK AGES …. Its the Golden ERA of India and all Indians.
Wake up …. ARISE …
Live up to the life of your dream … show the world … what it means to be Indian..
and dont ask me what is my name … (to guess what religion I belong) …
As I belong to the soil of India…
The civilization of India….
the Culture of India…
The Idea of India…
I belong to India…
The Country which has given me everything ..
I just wish to thank God that I am in India….I am an Indian …
I am just so lucky … Thanks Thanks Thanks that I am born in India and an Indian………
Remeber my friends .. To every Question there is one Answer …
“I AM INDIAN” (period)
Sridhar:
you said “I would just add to what you are saying – All INDIANS should hang their heads in shame for the anti-Sikh riots of 1984, anti-Muslim riots of 1992 & 2002, irrespective of their communal affiliation.
Even after 6 years, only a handful of the rioters have been arrested and convicted. It’s a shame for a country to lose 2000 of its citizens for no justifiable reason.”
I dont disagree with you fully on that one. Those are shameful acts. But why pander to a muslim audience by selectively choosing these acts.Why not bring in the list of muslim attrocities starting with ghazni/ghauri/aurangazeb? How and why did a majority hindu place become a majority muslim populace in a few hundred years when they were ruled by muslim kings?
Where was the NHRC commission and the idiots from the secular congres when hidnus get killed in riots against muslims. Do only muslims get hurt in all these things? Do these bomb blasts pick and choose a religion? Did the 1993 bombay blasts hurt only ppl from one religion? Where was the NHRC when the kashmiri pandits were killed and still live in pathetic conditions in what was once an glorious hindu civilazation?
Does secularism apply only to minority causes? Its ok if the majorities get killed? Even if that were the case weren’t the kashmiri hindus a minority that was forced to suffer? Why werent they the beneficiaries of minority politics and secularism?
This selecetive application of secularism has made many hindus disillusioned with the concept.
The answer is simple. The congress has sold its soul to the devil and knows that if they openly support kashmiri hindus then the muslim ‘ummah’ in the rest of india will stop voting for them. FArooq abdullah was the one who sent the first batch of kashmiri youths across the border for training by the pakis. Why did the congress led central govt not stop it until its too late? Because they wanted to pander to the muslim votes and show their support to the muslim cause by not clamping on islamic radicalism in the state in the 80s. At least the BJP openly states its stand. Its the congress that has been playing vote bank and minority politics since independence.
Yes, the kashmiri muslims are in a way caught in the political storm. The genie that was let out by the apathy of the congress govts for the better part of 60 yrs cannot be reined in at the whim of the centre. But the kashmiri muslims deserve blame for allowing the radicalization of their tolerant sufi traditions.
Imagine if temples all over chennai and kerala start threatening muslims to go to pakistan? Then the govt will cry hoarse and the congress iditots will arrange rally after rally. Shabhana azmi will openly talk about muslims plight in india. But that has not or will not happen. The govt will not want to lose 150 million votes. I guess the 7 million kashmiri hindu votes were expendable.
The only guy to stand up for those poor people was jagmohan and he immediately baile dout the congress by clamping down the insurgency and countering it effectively. Once again the congress played vote bank politics and wanted someone who will be more soft on clamping down islamic terrorism in that state.
Now we have the northeast suffering from the same blight of illegal muslim immigrants and related insurgency supported by bngladesh while changing the demographics of the state- all with the congress turning a blind eye as it strengthens their vote bank in those regions.
ONE WORD: REFERENDUM