Many struggles preceded the epochal uprising of 1931 and many have followed it, all were rooted in religio-cultural ethos of Kashmir, says Dr Sheikh Showkat Hussain
Ever since Kashmir was sold by Britishers to Maharaja Ghulab Singh, Kashmiris never digested this sale. Soon after the deal was executed, people of Kashmir fought valiantly against the army of Maharaja Ghulab Singh and defeated it. The battle took place near Sheikh Bagh under the leadership of Imam-ud-Din, the last governor of Sikh rule. Dogra army retreated and for several months and Kashmir remained free from foreign rule. The Kashmiris who were martyred in this resistance were buried at Shaheed Gunj, previously known as Maidanpora. The army of Maharaja Ghulab Singh could control Kashmir only with the help of British army after several months. The resistance was followed by the rebellion of Poonch. Those who rebelled over there were skinned alive. This marked the second stage of resistance to alien rule. The third stage of resistance is represented by the Shawl weavers. The Shawl weavers staged a protest outside the house of Raj Kak Dhar against excessive taxation on 29 April of 1865. Raj Kak Dhar ordered a police action against unarmed weavers. Twenty eight weavers died as a result of police action. This marked the third stage of resistance against dynastic rule of Maharaja Ghulab Singh and his progeny. In 1925, the workers of Silk factory rose in revolt against Hari Singh. All these stages of resistance remained localized and fizzled out after sometime. The incidents however transmitted the spirit of resistance to new generations. What makes 1931 important is that the resistance this time was not localised. It was state-wide. It started from Jammu against the sacrilege of Quran by sepoys of Hari Singh, culminated in Srinagar in the form of massive protests. The protests remained confined for sometime to demand of action against those who were involved in sacrilege. Then a strange voice echoed to give a direction to it. It was voice of Abdul Qadeer, a disciple of Jamaal-ud-Din Afghani and an adherent of his ideology of pan-Islamism. He had come to Kashmir in the garb of a cook. He asked people to address the root cause of their desperation and subjugation. He perceived it was the despotic rule of Hari Singh which had rendered them helpless and subjected them to indignation with respect to their faith. His words catalyzed transformation of society. Abdul Qadeer was detained. People protested against his detention and wanted the trial to be open. Despotic rulers didn’t tolerate this demand. They subjected the demonstrators to indiscriminate firing. So many were martyred and others injured. The injured and the dead were taken in procession to Jamia Masjid. One of the injured whispered before his death, “We have completed our mission, now it is your duty to carry it forward.”
These words of the martyr keep on echoing within hearts and-- minds of Kashmiris. They have become custodians of an aspiration, transmitting it from one generation to another. There were attempts to betray this aspiration in past as well as at present, leaders became corrupt. Instead of pursuing the struggle, they made compromises for the sake of power, prestige and wealth but masses have shown time and again that they remain and will continue to remain the custodians of this aspiration. Dogra rule came to an end with controversial accession of the state to Indian union. The accession was supposed to be endorsed by people of the state through internationally supervised plebiscite. Instead of seeking endorsement of accession through plebiscite, Indian union proceeded with establishment of a scandalous constituent assembly having seventy three members out of seventy five elected without contest. Sheikh Abdullah, the architect of accession, was put behind the bars after being sacked in 1953. The constituent assembly was made to endorse the accession. Large scale development works initiated during the tenure of Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad to dilute the sense of alienation. Along with large scale development, mobilization of Kashmiris for status quo was sought through cultural carnivals organized in the name of Jashn-e-Kashmir. For a while Kashmir seemed to be on the path of integration with Indian union. Reality of this estimation got exposed in 1963. Holy Relic of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) was stolen from the shrine of Hazratbal. Within no time Kashmir erupted like a volcano. Everyone blamed the central government for the sacrilege of the holy shrine. Even Nehru realized that Kashmir is linked to India with “a half spun thread”. Secession in Kashmir shed its dormancy and became manifest everywhere. From 1990 onwards every day in Kashmir has been a day of martyrdom. Hundred thousand people have followed the path of 1931 martyrs. During the tenure of Ghulam Nabi Azad, Indian state was again overtaken by an illusion of Kashmiris abandoning the path of martyrs. It launched a ‘crusade of development’. This was supplemented by carnivals and music festivals. These festivals had an aroma of Pakistani participation. Pakistan government too seemed to be indifferent to Kashmiri aspirations. For Indian establishment the Kashmir problem was over. The only thing needed was to flood it with yatris and tourists. For this purpose, Amarnath Shrine Board was constituted. The board headed by the Governor-General, pursued for making settlements in the name of yatra. Provoked by land transfer to Shrine Board, Kashmir again became mobile in June. For two weeks Kashmir experienced unprecedented mass mobilization. Every child, woman and man was on streets tearing apart everything that symbolized Indian Union, hoisting green flags on every street, daring security agencies with stones and lathis. The coercion of draconian laws, the counter insurgency operations, the developmental crusades and music festivals, everything failed to make Kashmiris reconcile with the status quo. This uprising depicts the truth that aspirations are non negotiable irrespective of what so called realities demand. The march of martyrdom continues with everyday, with every month, with every year and Kashmiris keep on paying tributes to the martyrs of 1931. Every time they rise in revolt, the issues which catalyze rebellion remain religious. Every time they get mobilized, the colour which they use for depiction for their aspiration remains the favorite color of their Prophet (SAW) and dome of his eternal abode. Leaders may keep on changing their colours, but masses have shown their choice again and again. By changing colours the leaders became irrelevant but aspiration continues to echo in every village, every town and every city of Kashmir. Of late, Kashmiris have made it clear that they will keep on resisting irrespective of attitude of their supporters elsewhere. Like leaders of Kashmir, leaders of supporting countries may be guided by expediencies of geopolitics, Kashmiris have are determined to change the geopolitics the way Algerians, Afghans, Iranians and Vietnamese did. Kashmiris remain guided only by their determination to achieve freedom and mould their destiny in accordance with their religio-cultural ethos.
source: The Daily Etalaat; Dr.sheikh showkat hussain
Monday, July 14, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Why Indians are silent
We have no hesitation in recognizing India as a country that has successfully evolved into a functional state where democracy has become a permanent feature of its governance and has struck deep into its political ethos. Making and unmaking of governments here solely rest on the sweet will of the people. A raised-eye brow wobbles and pulls down the power-intoxicated. A fortunate grin perches a lesser mortal atop. That democracy brings variety which is the spice of life, Indians have demonstrated it in bringing to power “jolly” Lallus, and social caste Mayawateees and wresting it from the “iron willed” Indras and “sagacious” Vajpayees. Wedded to this principle this state has remained immunized against any threat of military dictatorship.
But this beauty of India gets tarnished when it comes to Kashmir. Here democracy runs off its steam. “Sovereignty” belongs to people concept of democracy it peddles differently. “His Majesty’s” secular claims lose sheen and wear communalist trappings. Reneging from plebiscite pledge has generated a sense of betrayal and sown seeds of alienation. A true democratic face put up by Delhi would have, to a certain extent, mollified the resentment. But unpopularity of India has largely been the result of its wrong policies it followed and super-cop attitude it behaved with. Every succeeding generation had grown old in witnessing India playing the role of a conquer. We need not exhume the past. It is all told, all known. A legacy we are the victims of. Even today.
The Raj Bhavan stepping out of its constitutional authority, Shrine Board challenging the writ of its creator, state legislature, a petty State bureaucrat’s flexing his arrogant muscles, environmental vandalization and dangerous implications of land grab; in all these the offending silence of the Indian media, political leadership, civil liberty unions, environment sensitive groups , NGOs; and above all tacit support of Indian state for all this has again encrypted into the DNA of Kashmir that Delhi is not sincere and has something dangerous up its sleeves.
Sincerity and trust are not abstract propositions you can dole through Door Darshan, Radio Kashmir, news channels or news papers. Nor parroting Kashmiryat and “Rishi-sofi Islam” from Raj Bhavan and pro-Indian rhetoric of coalition government and of those hungering for power win you trust of the people. Sincerity and truth demands siding with truth, gravitating to the just cause and protesting against the forces hell-bent on carving a parallel authority in the state and intending to change the demography of the state. How many from Indian state have, at this moment, when Kashmiris find besieged from all sides, shared our woes? Except one honorable exception of Gautum Navlekha, a famous writer and human rights activist-before whom we salute for his courage?
Of late thousands unmarked graves have surfaced up in Uri Kashmir and Rajooree Jammu. Had only one-twentieth of these been reported, hell would have unleashed in India. There a child slipped in a pipe-hole gets the live coverage and keeps the media channels, army and executive glued. Here thousands are buried in nameless graves, none looses sleep. There a deer poacher is imprisoned even if he is a film ”star”. Here killers of thousands of innocent unarmed people remain untraced. Are Kashmiris worse than creeping insects? Why double standard?
Kashmiris are not against Amarnath Yatra. From the beginning of last century when ice Lingum (stalagmite) was discovered by Muslim shepherded and journey to the cave has assumed religious sanctity for Hindus, Kashmiris have been providing every possible help to pilgrims and have actively remained involved in the yatra; carrying Hindu pilgrims on palanquins, riding them on ponies and offering other assistance. There is no question of whatsoever, as being alleged by communalist forces, in causing any obstruction in the holy ritual. What worries people here is the manner and sinister design behind in turning a matter of spiritual belief and conviction into jingoistic exercise with dangerous implications on both environment and Muslim majority character of Kashmir.
Before creation of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) by National Conference, to please his masters in Delhi, the yatra was smoothly being conducted by the state administration with local participation. Lust of power has blinded NC Walaas not to comprehend the devouring capabilities of the Frankenstein they had created. Puffing the arrogant stance of being ‘sovereign body’ with ‘arbitrary powers’ for ‘promotion of Hindu interests, the Frankenstein virtually went on hunting spree, with Raj Bhavan under Retd. General SK Sinha providing the milking udder. The Board started grabbing entire forest land en-route to cave from Pahalgam on one side and Baltal on the other side. It virtually took over the functioning of Pahalgam Development Authority and started constructing permanent structures even in Pahalgam Gulf Course. On June 3, 2008; Gh. Nabi Azad led Congress-PDP coalition, in a major blow to the interests of Kashmir, transferred 800 Kanal to the forest land to the board. Still insatiated, the bulky “stomach” of the Board wants another 3200 Kanals. To unveil itself, the SASB has staked claim to set up an ‘independent’ Amarnath Development Authority. So everything is going according to the “blue print” for raising Amarnath Nagar. The fate of Palestines having been deprived of their ancestral land sends Shivers and looms large on Kashmiris in light of SASB’s “sovereign” authority beginning to show Zionist like spots.
Can it happen elsewhere and can Indians digest the indigestible. In the latest session of legislative council at Jammu, an MLC from coalition dispensation was informed by SASB that law makers do not enjoy the powers to question the decision of a body headed by the Governor. The “law maker” had asked whether the SASB was charging rent for erecting tents and makeshift shops from the locals. It is worth reproducing an extract of the letter SASB shot to deputy chief minister to show the brazen arrogance of the Board: ‘Governor is sovereign ex-officio holder of the power…which acts on his own personal satisfaction and not on the aid and advice of the council of ministers… The member (of the legislative council) be explained that he does not enjoy the powers to question the decision of the body’. One asks where lies the much talked ‘sovereignty’ of the legislature? When Indian sponsored ‘representatives of people’ are debarred from the right of asking a question, what message Indian state is sending to Kashmiris?
We have to remember that serving Governor is a servant of Government of India and his principal secretary is the CEO of the SASB. Thus in grabbing land, in inundating Kashmir with Yatrees and bringing devastation of delicate ecology and adding element of patriotism to boost morale of troops ‘fighting the enemy’ in Kashmir (as news portal of Indian government, Press information Bureau, puts it), it is Indian state that leads the onslaught. Gangotri in Utrakhand is one of the most revered Hindu pilgrimage destination. But realizing damage to the ecology and Gaumukh-from which springs Ganga-the state has restricted pilgrim flow to only 150 a day. In contrast twenty lac pilgrims are expected to visit the Amarnath this year, about over ten thousands a day. This monumental increase in period (from three weeks it has expanded to two and a half mouth) and number (last year four lac pilgrims have had a darshan of the ice-lingam) and three layer deployment of security forces (12000), the fragile ecology of glacier and that of tourist destination spots of Pahalgam and Sonmarg stand threatened severely. Add to this 55000 Kg of waste generated and its draining into the fresh waters of Lidder River, and pollution caused by buses, trucks, and sorties of helicopters, the degradation of environment of “paradise” is all but complete. Why Indian attitude is discriminatory?
Growing resentment of people, angry protests of students in Kashmir University campus, massive street demonstrations and, most importantly, unification of Hurriyat on this issue, point to the volcanic nature of the issue. Before things go out of control it is time for the Azad dispensation to wake up and rescind the order of transfer of land and hand over the Shrine Board to local Hindu community. The custodian of holy mast (Charri-mubarak) Deependra Giri has held actions of board against the Hindu scriptures and raised voice at politicizing and commercializing a simple matter of conviction and piety as Yatra is by Raj Bhavan and SASB.
Tail piece: - ‘Imagine if someone were to ask for setting up an independent Ajmer Sharief Dargah Development Authority with say control over a large part of Ajmer city. What would be the response of Rajastan’s BJP government? All hell will break loose and it will be projected a diabolical demand and may be even treason. So why is it that India’s self-appointed champions of secularism keep mute in face of naked promotion of sectarian Hindu interests by the Indian state in J&K?’, asks Gautam Navlakha.
(courtesy: greater kashmir; hassan zainagree
But this beauty of India gets tarnished when it comes to Kashmir. Here democracy runs off its steam. “Sovereignty” belongs to people concept of democracy it peddles differently. “His Majesty’s” secular claims lose sheen and wear communalist trappings. Reneging from plebiscite pledge has generated a sense of betrayal and sown seeds of alienation. A true democratic face put up by Delhi would have, to a certain extent, mollified the resentment. But unpopularity of India has largely been the result of its wrong policies it followed and super-cop attitude it behaved with. Every succeeding generation had grown old in witnessing India playing the role of a conquer. We need not exhume the past. It is all told, all known. A legacy we are the victims of. Even today.
The Raj Bhavan stepping out of its constitutional authority, Shrine Board challenging the writ of its creator, state legislature, a petty State bureaucrat’s flexing his arrogant muscles, environmental vandalization and dangerous implications of land grab; in all these the offending silence of the Indian media, political leadership, civil liberty unions, environment sensitive groups , NGOs; and above all tacit support of Indian state for all this has again encrypted into the DNA of Kashmir that Delhi is not sincere and has something dangerous up its sleeves.
Sincerity and trust are not abstract propositions you can dole through Door Darshan, Radio Kashmir, news channels or news papers. Nor parroting Kashmiryat and “Rishi-sofi Islam” from Raj Bhavan and pro-Indian rhetoric of coalition government and of those hungering for power win you trust of the people. Sincerity and truth demands siding with truth, gravitating to the just cause and protesting against the forces hell-bent on carving a parallel authority in the state and intending to change the demography of the state. How many from Indian state have, at this moment, when Kashmiris find besieged from all sides, shared our woes? Except one honorable exception of Gautum Navlekha, a famous writer and human rights activist-before whom we salute for his courage?
Of late thousands unmarked graves have surfaced up in Uri Kashmir and Rajooree Jammu. Had only one-twentieth of these been reported, hell would have unleashed in India. There a child slipped in a pipe-hole gets the live coverage and keeps the media channels, army and executive glued. Here thousands are buried in nameless graves, none looses sleep. There a deer poacher is imprisoned even if he is a film ”star”. Here killers of thousands of innocent unarmed people remain untraced. Are Kashmiris worse than creeping insects? Why double standard?
Kashmiris are not against Amarnath Yatra. From the beginning of last century when ice Lingum (stalagmite) was discovered by Muslim shepherded and journey to the cave has assumed religious sanctity for Hindus, Kashmiris have been providing every possible help to pilgrims and have actively remained involved in the yatra; carrying Hindu pilgrims on palanquins, riding them on ponies and offering other assistance. There is no question of whatsoever, as being alleged by communalist forces, in causing any obstruction in the holy ritual. What worries people here is the manner and sinister design behind in turning a matter of spiritual belief and conviction into jingoistic exercise with dangerous implications on both environment and Muslim majority character of Kashmir.
Before creation of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) by National Conference, to please his masters in Delhi, the yatra was smoothly being conducted by the state administration with local participation. Lust of power has blinded NC Walaas not to comprehend the devouring capabilities of the Frankenstein they had created. Puffing the arrogant stance of being ‘sovereign body’ with ‘arbitrary powers’ for ‘promotion of Hindu interests, the Frankenstein virtually went on hunting spree, with Raj Bhavan under Retd. General SK Sinha providing the milking udder. The Board started grabbing entire forest land en-route to cave from Pahalgam on one side and Baltal on the other side. It virtually took over the functioning of Pahalgam Development Authority and started constructing permanent structures even in Pahalgam Gulf Course. On June 3, 2008; Gh. Nabi Azad led Congress-PDP coalition, in a major blow to the interests of Kashmir, transferred 800 Kanal to the forest land to the board. Still insatiated, the bulky “stomach” of the Board wants another 3200 Kanals. To unveil itself, the SASB has staked claim to set up an ‘independent’ Amarnath Development Authority. So everything is going according to the “blue print” for raising Amarnath Nagar. The fate of Palestines having been deprived of their ancestral land sends Shivers and looms large on Kashmiris in light of SASB’s “sovereign” authority beginning to show Zionist like spots.
Can it happen elsewhere and can Indians digest the indigestible. In the latest session of legislative council at Jammu, an MLC from coalition dispensation was informed by SASB that law makers do not enjoy the powers to question the decision of a body headed by the Governor. The “law maker” had asked whether the SASB was charging rent for erecting tents and makeshift shops from the locals. It is worth reproducing an extract of the letter SASB shot to deputy chief minister to show the brazen arrogance of the Board: ‘Governor is sovereign ex-officio holder of the power…which acts on his own personal satisfaction and not on the aid and advice of the council of ministers… The member (of the legislative council) be explained that he does not enjoy the powers to question the decision of the body’. One asks where lies the much talked ‘sovereignty’ of the legislature? When Indian sponsored ‘representatives of people’ are debarred from the right of asking a question, what message Indian state is sending to Kashmiris?
We have to remember that serving Governor is a servant of Government of India and his principal secretary is the CEO of the SASB. Thus in grabbing land, in inundating Kashmir with Yatrees and bringing devastation of delicate ecology and adding element of patriotism to boost morale of troops ‘fighting the enemy’ in Kashmir (as news portal of Indian government, Press information Bureau, puts it), it is Indian state that leads the onslaught. Gangotri in Utrakhand is one of the most revered Hindu pilgrimage destination. But realizing damage to the ecology and Gaumukh-from which springs Ganga-the state has restricted pilgrim flow to only 150 a day. In contrast twenty lac pilgrims are expected to visit the Amarnath this year, about over ten thousands a day. This monumental increase in period (from three weeks it has expanded to two and a half mouth) and number (last year four lac pilgrims have had a darshan of the ice-lingam) and three layer deployment of security forces (12000), the fragile ecology of glacier and that of tourist destination spots of Pahalgam and Sonmarg stand threatened severely. Add to this 55000 Kg of waste generated and its draining into the fresh waters of Lidder River, and pollution caused by buses, trucks, and sorties of helicopters, the degradation of environment of “paradise” is all but complete. Why Indian attitude is discriminatory?
Growing resentment of people, angry protests of students in Kashmir University campus, massive street demonstrations and, most importantly, unification of Hurriyat on this issue, point to the volcanic nature of the issue. Before things go out of control it is time for the Azad dispensation to wake up and rescind the order of transfer of land and hand over the Shrine Board to local Hindu community. The custodian of holy mast (Charri-mubarak) Deependra Giri has held actions of board against the Hindu scriptures and raised voice at politicizing and commercializing a simple matter of conviction and piety as Yatra is by Raj Bhavan and SASB.
Tail piece: - ‘Imagine if someone were to ask for setting up an independent Ajmer Sharief Dargah Development Authority with say control over a large part of Ajmer city. What would be the response of Rajastan’s BJP government? All hell will break loose and it will be projected a diabolical demand and may be even treason. So why is it that India’s self-appointed champions of secularism keep mute in face of naked promotion of sectarian Hindu interests by the Indian state in J&K?’, asks Gautam Navlakha.
(courtesy: greater kashmir; hassan zainagree
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