Homeland: the only Political Resolution for historically harrowing past of Kashmiri Pandits : Lalit K Kaul

 

Homeland: the only Political Resolution for historically harrowing past of Kashmiri Pandits

                                                                                                                                            Lalit K Kaul

Every ethnic group has a past and therefore history of its existence that may span over thousands of years. Its history of existence has to do with its culture, world view, religious doctrines and its political organization. The history of existence of Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmir as documented in Rajtarangani is beyond imagination of a religious community in Kashmir– belonging to the same ethnicity as Pandits- that was brought into existence by a process that personified unprecedented barbarism inflicted on the aboriginals. So, off late new theories have come up that even put ridiculousness to shame; the theories like Kashmir was built by Moguls and the Bollywood people who always live in Reel life and are ever obsessed with their physical appearance have begun to parrot the same. It’s not a joke or a laughable matter, but a conscientious attempt to legitimize Islamization of Kashmir and therefore such comments have to be taken seriously to the extent of questioning such “historians” as to the basis of their pronouncements.

The Persecuted Ethnic Groups:

There are three ethnic groups in the world who are known to have faced holocaust and ethnic cleansing, in the recent history and yet such inhuman events are debated for the Truth of their occurrence. The ethnic groups are Jews, Palestinians and Kashmiri Pandits. The persecution of Jews the world over – except in India where they sought and were given refuge- and the Holocaust; the cleansing of Palestinians from what was Palestine with thousands of years of history and non recognition of Palestine as a country at the time of formation of UN; the near genocide and cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir- a land to which they are not just materially attached, but also spiritually and that spiritual connect the Pandits cannot find anywhere in the world and nor in any part of the country – India.

Not to forget the Parsis who facing religious persecution by the invading Caliph army, some of them managed to flee Persia and found refuge in India.

A Brief History of Barbarism Inflicted on Aboriginals in Kashmir:

A fugitive from Central Asia – accused of treason- came to Kashmir and sought refuge. The aboriginals of Kashmir granted him refuge as dictated by their world view and religious philosophy. The fugitive was Shah Mir who came to Kashmir in 1318 AD and adopted the name Shams-ud-din. He ruled Kashmir from 1339 to 1342 AD and founded Shah Mir dynasty – Shah Mir, Jamshid, Alau’d-Din, Shibu’d-Din, Qutubu’d-Din, Sikandar, Ali Shah, Zain –Ul-Abidin, Haider Shah.

Shah Mir is believed to have come to Kashmir during the rule of Suhadeva (r. 1301–1320), where he rose to prominence. After the death of Suhadeva and his brother Udayanadeva, Shah Mir proposed for marriage to Kota Rani, she refused and continued her rule for five months till 1339 and appointed Bhutta Bhikshana as prime minister. After the death of Kota Rani (which is wrapped in mysteries; it is believed that Shah Mir killed her), Shah Mir established his own kingship, founding the Shah Mir dynasty in 1339, which lasted till 1561. During this period Islam was firmly established in Kashmir.

In the reign of Qutubu’d-Din, the so called Sufi, Sayyid Ali Shah Hamdan (Shah-e-Hamdan) came to the Valley and persecuted the aboriginals by means of enacting such laws that fortified Islam. On the lines of Caliph Umar, he enforced the code for Islamization of Kashmir. The Code is as listed in the sequel:

1.       The Muslim ruler shall not allow fresh constructions of Hindu Temples and shrines.

2.       No repairs to the existing Hindu temples and shrines shall be allowed.

3.       Hindus shall not ride a harnessed horse; nor shall they move about with arms; nor shall they wear rings and diamonds.

4.       They shall not exhibit idolatrous images.

5.       They shall not build houses in neighbourhoods of Muslims

6.       They shall not build houses in neighbourhood of Muslims; nor dispose off their dead near Muslim graveyards; nor weep nor wail over their dead.

7.       No Muslim traveller shall be refused lodging in the Hindu temples and shrines where he shall be treated as a guest for 3 days by non-Muslims.

8.       No problem shall be created for those non-Muslims who, on their own will, show their readiness for Islam

9.       Non-Muslims shall honour Muslims and shall leave their assembly whenever the Muslims enter the premises, etc

So much for the Sufi cult, that’s so much revered for its human values. It should be interesting to ask the idol breakers as to what they do in Mecca for performing Haj.

The first exodus of aboriginals – the Pandits – happened during 1389 – 1413 AD when the ruler Sikandar Shah (also known as Butshikan- destroyer of idols) teamed up with Muhammad Hamdan, son of Shah e Hamdan, to demolish temples and build mosques over them; enforce forcible conversions; engage in loot, plunder, rapes and all conceivable forms of barbarism was inflicted on the natives of Kashmir.

The second exodus of natives happened when the Chaks managed to get the reins of power during the reign of Fateh Shah II (1505 – 1514). He came under the influence of the Noorbakshi Shi’a Sufi Shams-ud-Din Araqi and who started barbaric activities of oppressing them.

The third and fourth exodus of the Pandits took place during the reign of Aurangzeb and Durranis of Afghanistan. The cruelty of Aurangzeb towards non Muslims is showcased by beheading of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur; his intolerance to Shi’a sect is documented by his act of destroying the Golconda Fort in Hyderabad.

All the rulers mentioned in the aforesaid paragraphs were Muslim invaders – aliens- who ruled over Kashmir and there indulgence was inflicting barbarism on the natives to force them into submission and make them accept Islam at the point of sword and by other means of making their day to day life unbearably difficult to live.

What about the natives who had accepted Islam under coercion, but whose ancestors were Hindus? How was their attitude towards this miniscule minority – Kashmiri Pandits?

The Reign of Local Muslims in J&K since 1947:     

The two leaders who stand out when it comes to being rabidly communal and anti Pandits are Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah and Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. Mufti’s role in 1988/89 Anantnag riots and his role in the forced exodus of the Pandits in 1991 are too well known to be restated in these lines. Sheikh in his movement against the so called atrocities of Hari Singh founded Muslim Conference and thereby made it clear that he represented only Muslims; why he changed his outfit’s name to National Conference is not the subject matter of this article.

Snubbed by Jinnah he wagged his tail before Nehru ji and managed to become the PM of the erstwhile J&K State in 1947. Immediately afterwards he snatched all the agricultural lands from Pandits and did not give them any compensation; in implementation of the land to the tiller programme, his depriving Pandits of compensation violated all statutes of civilized law. Dispossessed of their source of earning by a single stroke of pen, the Pandits were forced to fend for themselves in places that were totally alien to them; his acceptance of the post of CM in 1975 led to another wave of discriminations against the Pandits in matter of admissions to the professional colleges and placements in state government jobs, etc. This discrimination led to the Pandits seeking admissions and jobs outside J&K. Yet again a steady outflow of Pandits started because of such circumstances that promised only bleak future for them in their place of birth.

In fact the discrimination against the Pandits had started in Ghulam Mohammed Sadiq’s reign as PM of J&K; he became PM after a brief stint as PM Shamsuddin had post resignation of Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed from the PM’s post under Kamraj Plan. The discrimination process was institutionalized by Sadiq and taken to dizzy heights by Sheikh starting 1975.

Muslims invaders ruled Kashmir until 1819 when Kashmir region passed into the hands of Sikhs; After 1339 Pandits never ruled over Kashmir and yet Kashmiri Muslims were indoctrinated by leaders like Sheikh to hold Pandits responsible for their plight in all dimensions of life- economic, cultural, education and literacy rate, employability in Hari Singh’s secretariat, etc. Having ruled over Kashmir for nearly five centuries (1339 – 1819) the native Muslims should have had nobody to blame except the Muslim rulers for their plight; but they chose to blame Pandits who all through had been victims of Muslim rule’s barbarism.

Only ten years of Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed rule as PM, the Pandits did not face any discrimination in any walk of life and were treated at par with human beings.

The events that unfolded in 1989 leading to cleansing the Valley of Pandits is a well documented history no matter what Muftis Abdullahs Owaisi Kejri and their ilk have to say about Kashmir Files. Their response betrays their communal mindset and the art of living in ever denial mode.

Why should Pandits trust Kashmiri Muslims?    

For all acts of dehumanizing faced by the Pandits at the hands of Muslims since 1339 and essentially the 1991 exodus thrust upon them, it is difficult nay impossible to conceive that the Pandits and their future generations would be safe in the hands of Muslims, if they decide to return back to Valley. The problem is political and may be religious; not social, cultural and economical. It may be religious because of intolerance towards temples and idols.

Political Resolution the Only Way:

Muslims asked for Pakistan because they were convinced that “Kafir” India was not a pious place for them to reside (Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad is on record having said that; Moulvis are only natural allies of this doctrine); they bifurcated India and thereafter continued to plan further divisions of India ( Operation Topaz/Topac with the help of Kashmiri Muslims); Communists carved out an exclusive Muslim majority district in Kerala; then it should be possible to carve out a separate Homeland as UT for Pandits to the North and East of river Jhelum for their safe and guaranteed stay in there. Exclusive Pandit State will also work as a deterrent against the nefarious designs of those who have it in their plans to balkanize India. The followers of Jinnah who have made their presence felt through anti CAA and anti Agri Laws campaigns.

The BJP instead of discussing Kashmir Files in Parliament should put its mind on creating a Homeland for the Pandits the same way as Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Punjab, Haryana, Himanchal and Telengana were created.