Sri Ram Bhakts Desh Bhakts and Kashmiri Pandits: Lalit k kaul

 

Sri Ram Bhakts Desh Bhakts and Kashmiri Pandits

Lalit k kaul

If vociferously chanting Jai Sri Ram and renting the Air with slogans like “Mandir Wahin Banayengae” were to be the qualifications and also proof enough for being a Sri Ram Bhakt then this trait of dishonesty would have left the abodes of crores of such Bhakts and corruption in public dealings including political corruption would have witnessed an astronomical fall. Far from it and an ever-receding distant dream!

The Sri Ram Temple at Ayodhya:

For all the euphoria built around raising a magnificent Sri Ram temple in Ayodhya, its team of architect, contractors, skilled laborers supervised by Yogis, Mahants and those who laid the claim for owning Ram Lalla; the net outcome was the edifice that gave in to the very first monsoon showers! The roof leaked exactly above the place where the idol had been placed and sanctified! What a Bhakti!

Wonder about those architects, skilled manpower and labourers who carved out huge temples from a monolith; temples which have pillars that play out musical nodes, temples that have hanging pillars; pillars that are cylindrical decorated with circular rings and engravings; all thousands of years old and still going strong without showing any signs of developing physical defects! Who were those genius? Sri Ram Bhakts or professionals with unimpeachable professional integrity!

Desh Bhakts:

If shouting at highest pitch the slogans like Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata Ki Jai and forcing others to do so if only to prove their patriotism was desh bhakti personified then those who are led by work ethics, dedication to one’s duty and inculcating unimpeachable integrity- both professional and financial- but not shouting such slogans to create sound pollution ceased to be patriotic! That’s the newly invented yardstick. It would be the noises one created and not the signals one generated that would classify one as a patriot or otherwise! That’s my New Bharat, New India- call it whatever you may.

For all the claims of Sri Ram Bhakti and patriotism and vociferous assertions of Brashtachar Mukht Bharat, the politicians, the bureaucracy, the judiciary, the media etcetera have by their acts ensured that dishonest intent- the by-product being corrupt ways- sinks deep in the minds of the citizens of Bharat/India.

You know why? This question can be answered only by going into the history of Kashmiri Pandit community! What it costs to be a true patriot and a staunch believer in Sanatan Dharm, one comes to know only after having gone through the history of the existence of the Kashmiri Pandit (KP) community.

Desh Bhakti of KP Community:

The KP community was and continues to be the only Indian voice in the Valley. For all the discriminations institutionalized by successive state governments led by NC, PDP and Congress against this community, its commitment to stand for India in the Valley never wavered. Discriminations against the community in admissions to university courses, engineering and medical colleges, and for placements in government jobs including the carrier growth of a very miniscule number who had been recruited in such jobs. This not only led to a slow but steady exile from the Valley to other parts of India causing them huge displacement from their socio-cultural circles in the Valley only to find themselves in an alien land that supported a language and culture different from what they had been a part of during their stay in the Valley.

The ruling class was very candid in telling Kashmiri Pandit community that they could seek admissions for vocational courses and employment opportunities anywhere in India because they stood for India in the Valley.

The final push into a forced exile from the Valley came on that fateful day- January 19, 1990 that was planned for nearly one and a half decades and executed with laser type precision by the political and religious leadership of Kashmiri Muslims. The one major factor for it was that as Indian voice in the Valley the perpetrators of Jihad against the community that culminated into community’s genocide were sure that the KP community wasn’t going to join them in their quest for Azadi from India or merger with Pakistan.

That’s precisely the Price the community paid for its unwavering allegiance to India. Never heard any member of KP community shouting slogans like Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata Ki Jai in socio-religious and socio-cultural gatherings in the Valley. Even after being in exile for nearly 35 years the community’s loyalty and commitment to India’s integrity hasn’t wavered. That’s Desh Bhakti in its purest form.

Upholding Sanatan Dharm under most Hostile Conditions:

Starting 3^rd quarter of 14^th century CE, the Muslim Kings at the instigation of “Sufi Saints” unleashed unprecedented barbarism on Sanatanis in their crusade to forcibly covert them to their religion- Islam. Muslim historians have documented it all- some with a sense of pride and some with a feeling of guilt. How Hindu women and girls were mass raped to produce children who would belong to Islamic faith and value system. Then sold as sex slaves! The resisting Hindu males and boys were beheaded and their mutilated bodies displayed. Surely, the result of this barbarism inflicted on the natives was that an appreciable number from among them accepted conversion and that was propagated as peaceful (!) conversion and voluntary (!) acceptance of Islam. But the resistance never ended and in order to uphold their Sanatan Dharm and its value system, some fled to jungles and others to other parts of Bharat crossing hazardous mountains and terrains! It’s these who today are known as Kashmiri Pandits. And, it’s because of such of our committed ancestors that we found ourselves living in Kashmir and other parts of Bharat as Sanatanis.

But then an Ideology never dies and this Ideology that had thrust six exiles on KP community, once again infused with vigor and thirsty for the blood of “Kafirs” thrust on this community the seventh exile! Whatever the apologists of the perpetrators of genocide on Kashmiri Pandit community may pronounce from roof tops, through social, digital and electronic media; the history of the barbarism inflicted upon the KP community can neither be denied nor overemphasized.

That’s commitment to upholding Sanatan Dharm and its value system. It didn’t require shouting slogans like Jai Sri Ram! When such a commitment runs in the blood, the slogans are not required.

What Other Options Kashmiri Pandit Community had?

Accepting Islam without any resistance during the Muslim rule. This would have saved them from dehumanizing process and unbearable atrocities that they had to face. Whole of Kashmir Valley would have been exclusively Muslim and they would have opted for Pakistan in 1947.

Beginning 1986 and culminating into 1990, had entire KP community volunteered to join Islamic fold they may not have faced 7^th exile preceded by the barbarism reminiscent of Muslim rule. The Muslim clergy would have wholeheartedly welcomed them into their fold as it immensely strengthened Muslims’ Azadi movement. But the KP community didn’t choose that option because of its Sanatan Dharm Bhakti.

The KP community could have joined the secessionist movement of Muslims, may be leading from the front and simultaneously come to some workable solution for co-existence post Azadi from India.

But that option too wasn’t to be as being Indian and belonging to India was and continues to be a matter of pride because Bharat including Kashmir was and remains to be KP community’s Janmbhoomi, karmbhoomi and punybhoomi.

That’s Desh Bhakti which doesn’t need shouting vociferously Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata Ki Jai.

The Price KPC continues to Pay for True Desh and Sanatan Bhakti:

The KP community, looks like, is not covered under the Constitution of India. The attitude of all political parties (L to R) including abject indifference of successive central governments to its genocide tells it all. The biggest unchallengeable proof of this criminal indifference is that no Lok Sabha since 1990 anytime discussed the plight of KP community following their genocide and exile from the Valley in order to chalk out program for their proper rehabilitation in the Valley even though the KP community through its Margdarshan’91 resolution for Homeland UT had shown the way.

The exiled ones have been lodged in ever dilapidating pigeonholes in a slum kind of environment. Forced into the dens of jihadis under the scheme of PM employment package and the package is absolutely violative of the Directive Principles of the Constitution of India and hence unconstitutional.

The pampered ones, for whom all possible investments are being invited and arranged, are those who led a bloody insurgency against the Indian State threatening to breach India’s territorial integrity and the neglected ones are those who always stood for India even in the most adverse times. For all the pampering done by the BJP and its government at Center, the Leopard has, in the recently concluded LS elections, asserted that it doesn’t change its spots. The spots that are symbols of anti- India and pro-Pak sentiments.

That’s the reward for being a true Desh and Sanatan Bhakt! The Indian politicians and Indian administrative machinery cannot countenance an individual or group of such individuals in whose blood ingredients of honesty and integrity flow. That’s why the whole Nizam is geared to irrigate  veins of Indian people with absolute dishonest intent that would ensure corrupt ways while slogan shouting goes on in the name of Sri Ram Bhakti and Desh Bhakti. It ensures share for each looter in the loot and those gifted with honest intent languish in some dark and invisible spaces.