This entry took a long time to come. A lot has transpired since my stay in the US; I am an MBA graduate now and will be starting my next lap in life in Germany very soon. The gap of three months in the middle was filled up by my time in India, with my family, my girlfriend (and soon-to-be-wife) and my friends. It has been a much required dose of sleep, laziness and lethargy. All this was enough to keep me away from drawing board, but was unable to keep me from picking my brains and finding something that sparks my thoughts and soul within. So here I am writing about my first love – Kashmir.
I remember something from a discussion I once had with my friend Joy; we got talking about the political history of Kashmir. I filled him up with whatever little I know about the beautiful valley; its coming into being, its religious dilemma and the current situation there. I let him know of my viewpoint and that of many Kashmiris in the state today. He was troubled by something I said – “I am Kashmiri before I am Indian”. It catapulted him into being an anguished protestant from being a calm by- stander. His reaction did not surprise me though. I have had many others react to it the same way, some in even stronger ways. Education has always considered regionalism a social stigma for any nation; it is something that is detrimental to a country’s well-being and development. But why is it that I thought this way? Why is it that I never considered myself a Delhiite and always say that I am Kashmiri – “Kashmir” and not “Jammu & Kashmir”? Before I take a shovel and dig deep into understanding this I took a look at both, internal and external factors at play here. The internalities are stronger in such a way that they give rise to externalities in this case: • Troubled Past. Violent History. Bloodshed – Kashmir, due to its geography, climate, beauty and riches, was like a pretty damsel that always acted hard to get. She was a coveted crown that invited invaders from far and wide – sometimes in pure vain too. They came from Afghanistan, Mongolia and the Indian peninsula. Kashmir, originally a Hindu state has been the cradle of Buddhism and Shaivism before being a Muslim dominated region. At one time, there were only eleven Hindu families in Kashmir; the rest had either been killed or forced to accept Islam. Destruction of all non-Muslim structures and idols was just one of the orders given by Sultan Sikander Butshikan – such tyranny was what Kashmir went through. There were some other Muslim rulers such Zain-ul-Abidin (Budshah) who resurrected art, music and culture in the kingdom, who brewed religious tolerance among people and ordered restoration of Hindu temples and abolishment of Sati. The kingdom slipped through many Muslim rulers before falling into the Mughals’ lap. It then went to the Sikhs, then the British and back to the Sikhs. The social condition was wretched in the kingdom of Kashmir and the political weakness was a direct consequence. The Hindus (a.k.a Kashmiri Pandits) were literate and educated; they were landlords, teachers and in key administrative positions. The Kashmiri Muslims, mostly the peasantry, had no rights, no political representation and no education. Corruption ran amok and the Muslims seemed to face the brunt of it. More towards the later 19th century, the social and political chaos threw the kingdom in stormy seas – Kashmiris, both Hindus and Muslims learnt more about living with each other than ever before. It was like a joint family, where there were arguments and discord alongside cooperation and tolerance. We were Kashmiris and the belongingness to Kashmir was our Kashmiriyat. • Migration and Social Imbalance – Not many people know that terrorism in the valley, also known as “ethnic cleansing” was not the first reason the Kashmiris took to guns in the late 1980s. The first reason why Kashmiris, both Hindus and Muslims resorted to terrorism was liberation from India. The Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front or the JKLF was a terrorist organization comprising of both Hindus and Muslims; there were even doctors, lawyers and engineers involved in taking arms training across the line of control. Not only did the migration throw the Kashmiri Hindus out of their homes, but also brought them down to a desolate state of existence; they were not exactly welcome in Jammu and life had to be started from scratch. (Although in the longer run, I believe, the migration was a blessing in disguise for the Kashmiri Hindus. It opened their eyes to the world outside and opened them to opportunities, progress and prosperity.) Kashmir, due to being a political flashpoint was brought into international limelight for the wrong reasons. The plight and the dismantling of Kashmiri Hindus were in the face of the rest of India. Anytime somebody comes across a Kashmiri Hindu who is a successful professional or doctor or actor, a preconceived feeling of respect engulfs this interaction. This, in my opinion, only amplifies the pride one takes in being Kashmiri. |
Nitish Kaul |
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Hi Nitish, Do you have any evidence to backup the following statement appearing in your article relating to Kashmiri Hindus? The first reason why Kashmiris, both Hindus and Muslims resorted to terrorism was liberation from India. The Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front or the JKLF was a terrorist organization comprising of both Hindus and Muslims -Vinod
Added By Vinod Raina
Mr. Nitish, howver best having written hisarticle , has two lacunae found by me from the outline of material available on this page. athese are{1} pointed-out by Mr Vinod Raiana below.(2) what had Mr. Jagmohan to do with our migration from Kashmir. The author Mr. Nitish Koul is advised tokindly go-through some more books written on Migration of K.Ps.
Added By Bushan Lal Razdan