GEELANI ON AMARNATH YATRA Ravi Munshi |
yed Ali Shah Geelani has demonstrated his contempt and intolerance for Kashmiri Hindus on numerous occasions. Threatening agitation to deny them their rightful comes naturally to him. His hindrance to road improvements to one of the most sacred Hindu shrines, the Amarnath Cave, is yet another display of his xenophobic behavior. Featherweight arguments against improvements are ludicrous and reveal the petty mind of a timeworn yet immature zealot.
Today, Hindu devotees are forced to contend with the appalling conditions in which they must make their pilgrimage to the Holy Cave. Inadequate and neglected infrastructure has directly contributed to the tragic deaths of several old and frail devotees. Before more lives are lost, despicable conditions must be addressed with utmost urgency. Just as there is no hidden agenda when Muslims perform Hajj, Hindus have no agenda either - just an innate desire of the millions of Hindu devotees who wish to pay obeisance at their sacred shrine. Geelani’s unsubstantiated charge of a conspiracy to weaken the Muslim majority in the valley is preposterous. So long as Article 370 of the Indian Constitution remains in effect, nothing could be farther from the truth. With hostile disposition, Geelani’s interference is his feeble attempt to scare the authorities of an imaginary environmental disaster, waiting to happen in an ecologically sensitive area. He should know that mitigating measures can achieve even a net positive improvement credit over the existing conditions, let alone simply alleviatethe adverse impact. Environmental preservation is important. But, Geelani also knows - religious sentiments often outweigh that importance. This isn’t the first time the octogenarian has spoken against the interests of the Hindus. His earlier outbursts against the proposal for Kashmiri Hindus, driven out by his Muslim brethren, to return and live in the valley in clusters; and against allocation of land to the Shrine Board stand testimony to his rabid enmity towards Hindus and their interests. Common sense seems to have betrayed him. He needs to wake up to a clear difference between pushing over a miniscule Kashmiri Hindu community and opposing the needs and desires of the religious majority in India. Geelani, without comprehending the negative implications of his stand, may uninte nationally let the benign issue rise to a national debate. If pushed hard and long enough, political parties like the BJP and others may get involved and bring Hindus all over the country to rally behind their legitimate claim. Spearheading a secessionist movement that is testing the patience of a benevolent nation, Geelani and his coterie have contributed heavily to the loss of life in the strife-stricken valley. Guilty of depriving the people of Kashmir greater opportunities to better their social and financial future, these misguided separatists have also caused incalculable economic loss to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Geelani doesn’t view Hindu pilgrims as an economic power house that could have significant contribution to the state economy. Call it his lack of perception. Otherwise, emerging from decades of seclusion while militancy was in full force, time is ripe for the economy to benefit from the increasing visitor traffic, pilgrims included. Ironically, rising number of pilgrims, suggestive of peace returning to the valley, may even help promote tourism. Geelani may not feel the pangs of conscience but he must clearly understand that Hindus have a right to demand adequate infrastructural facilities including hospitals, living quarters, and other amenities which are essential for their safe and satisfying spiritual experience. He should also let go the paranoia that the proposed improvements area long-term plan to undermine the Muslim-majority character of the valley. While there are no such plans, Geelani mustn’t forget that Kashmir was a bastion of Hinduism long before Islam stumbled upon it. Even if his worst fear came true an d somehow the Holy shrine is instrumental in reverting back the valley to its original demographical setting, he shouldn’t begrudge the change. After all, history does repeat itself. |
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