Respected Gentlemen, I am writing to you for the second time, without knowing whether you paid heed to my first letter or not. This reminds me of a story of a saint who was once making an ablution at a pond. While doing so, he saw a scorpion who was strugglingwith life in the water. He therefore, tried to take it out of water in order to save its life. When he did so for the first time, he was stung by the scorpion. Nevertheless he tried to save it again. He repeated this process three times. His disciple, who stood nearby, was amazed at the behaviour of his master. Surprized, he asked the saint, the reason for doing so, despite knowing the fact that the scorpion would bite him every time. The saint replied to his disciple, “stinging makes it a scorpion and saving its life makes me a human being”. The lesson I learnt from this story is that we all should do our duty, no matter whether it is being acknowledged or not. Hence my duty is to write, no matter whether I am heard or not. However, if you could not read me earlier ( Kashmir Dispatch, December 28, 2014& Daily excelsior, January 02, 2015), then better late than never.
Sirs, while I am writing this to you, there are a number of questions that pop up in my mind regarding pre-election and post-election events and the stand of pro-freedom organisations in the state. But there are some more important issues which I feel my duty to apprise you with. Gentlemen, the incident that took place in Pakistan wherein a Church was blown in a suicide attack killing some fifteen innocent people and leaving tens of people injured must have shocked you too in a similar fashion as it shocked me. For me the attack was similar to the one on Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, although the lives lost here were more than in the Church blast. It was no less than an attack on a Shia mosque by Sunnis or on a Sunni mosque by Shias. There is no doubt, that these are anti-Islamic misguided people who see a martyr’s paradise in killing and in getting killed for just any reason. Conversely, Quran says, “We have certainly honored the children of Adam (17:70). When Quran, honours all the human beings, is it not obligatory for those who claim to be Muslims to respect every human being regardless of their belief or non-belief? Is it not mandatory for every Muslim to protect the life and property of every human being irrespective of his/her belief in Islam or some other religion or his non-belief in any religion?Is it not compulsory for all those who claim to be the vicegerents of God on earth to respect every woman, man and even a eunuch?
Respected grandees, religious persecution of minorities in India and Pakistan is a reminder to the people and leadership of Jammu and Kashmir who dream of an Independent, unified, prosperous, and peaceful Jammu and Kashmir. The same forces that operate today in India and Pakistan are very much present in our own state. The forces of fundamentalism, extremism, communalism, casteism,regionalism, sub-regionalism, hatred, animosity, bigotry and evil are fairly prevalent in the state. Hindu extremism in India and Muslim extremism in Pakistan have a lot to teach us. Both India and Pakistan are the finest examples for us to shape the present and future of the state.
Gentlemen, whenever I think of freedom, a number of questions come into my mind. The most important being, freedom from whom and freedom of whom? In my view, freedom is “Freedom of all” and“Freedom from all”. Freedom for all implies,freedom of those in Jammu and Ladakh, freedom of those in Chenab Valley and Pir Panjal and freedom of those in Kashmir valley. It also implies freedom of Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Hindus.Freedom from all includes, freedom from racism, regionalism, communalism, casteism and the like. It not only implies freedom from oppression of one state over the other, but also means freedom from dominance of one race or ethnic group on the other. Worthy sirs, it also means freedom from dominance of one religion over the other.
If it’s Azadi (freedom), it’s Azadi for all irrespective of caste, creed, colour or community. If it is Azadi, it must therefore take into its ambit every religion, every ethnic group and every region. To do this the most important thing is ‘to separate Politics from Religion’. Only then it would be Azadi for all. Let us assume the present movement aims at Azadi for all. If it is so, then I fail to understand why Muslims are fighting for it, by and large. Whydo our slogans reflect the aspirations of just one religion and one community?Is that going to bring into the political arena the people of other faiths? Do you really believe that a theocratic-exclusive-freedom would be desired by all, if it is freedom for all?
Another Important question is that, if it is the freedom of all then why couldn’t it cross thegeographical barriers uptil? Why is the movement restricted,by and large, to the Kashmir Valley? Have the people of other regions ever been approached by you? Do they understand your version of Azadi? Do the people of Pir Panjal, Chenab valley and other parts of Jammu province agree to your version of Azadi? Do Pandits, Sikhs, Paharis, and Gujjars agree to your version of Azadi? Have you ever tried to know their aspirations? Have you ever tried to reach out to them? Have you ever tried to know their version of Azadi?Sometimes I wonder, do you have any version of Azadi? Any blueprint, wherein an egalitarian society could be built for perpetual peace and prosperity?
Sirs,we ought to understand that the creation of another Pakistan like state is no solution to an ever suffering population of J&K. A Pakistan where Shias and Sunnis bomb each other in the mosques. A Pakistan where sectarian clashes and extremism has gone beyond zenith. A Pakistan where war of succession is going on since its inception. A Pakistan which is run by military every then and now. A Pakistan where minorities are persecuted by extremists. Where even the school going children are not spared.
I at times think, what could have happened to us if the tribal raid could have succeeded? May be Jamia Masjid of Srinagar could have been bombed by the extremists of one sect and Imam Bargahs by the extremists of the other sect. May be Dargahs (Shrines) of the state too couldhave been demolished by the extremists.
Dear leaders, the youth of the state is yelling to know the future of Jammu and Kashmir, an “Independent Unified Jammu and Kashmir” as many dream of. Where there is a place for everyone regardless of their belief, religion, caste, creed or colour. A Jammu and Kashmir where no sacred places of any religion are demolished as it ishappening in India.We need to ask ourselves will an Independent Jammu and Kashmir be any different from India and Pakistan? If not, then what is the point in laying priceless lives? Did Khalid and many others laid their lives for a state that would turn into communal India or a sectarian Pakistan?Aren’t we lacking a vision? An economic vision, a social vison and a political vision?
Gentlemen, I dream of a Jammu and Kashmir wherein no one is allowed to say that a temple can be demolished as it is not a religious place (as said recently by an MP of India for Mosques). I dream of a society wherein no community is persecuted in the name of Love Jihad and Ghar Wapasi. I dream of a state wherein no one could even dare to talk about curtailing the voting rights of minorities (Pandits, Sikhs, and Buddhists). A society wherein the right to life, liberty, equality and dignity exists for every individual.A society where the state is not allowed to decide for the marriage and eating habits of an Individual as it is happening in India now.I dream of a Jammu and Kashmir which is free from religious extremism (Unlike theocratic-autocratic Dogra regime) and sectarian extremism. And the only way to build such a society is the separation of Religion from Politics.
Taking a look into the Indian freedom movement, we come to know that bringing religion into the politics even in the moderate form (as done by Mr. Gandhi) ends in fanaticism and extremism. The communalism in the present day India owes a lot to the communalisation of Indian struggle for Independence from Britain. Same will be the fate of futureJammu and Kashmir if we don’t undermine the religious dimension of the freedom movement. That is the only way for the state to move forward toward an everlasting peace and stability.
Written in May, 2015.
Published by Muslim Voice Magazine
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