Jamaat-e-Islami (Kashmir): Intent to Fight Assembly Elections! What’s New! Lalit K Kaul

 

 

Jamaat-e-Islami (Kashmir): Intent to Fight Assembly Elections! What’s New!

Lalit K Kaul

Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) has expressed its intent to contest upcoming Assembly elections if the Government of India (GoI) lifts the ban imposed on it. First time it was banned in 1990 when it chose to be a part of the armed insurgency against Indian State started by the local JKLF unit with logistic support from Pakistan; it did so for the fear of losing its support base to JKLF for want of participation. Although the Jamaat held the view that Kashmir was disputed territory it had continued until the late 1980s to insist on using talks, rather than armed insurrection, to resolve the issue.

Thereafter, in 2019 it was banned for a 5-year period under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Then again on February 27, 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs in India extended the ban on it for five more years.

JeI’s Political Stand in regard to Accession of J&K Princely State to India:

After the partition of India, the Jamaat activists based in Srinagar favoured Jammu and Kashmir to join Pakistan. Yes, immediately after the partition, that could have been their choice, but not after the then Maharaja of the princely state of J&K including Ladakh and Gilgit Baltistan had legally acceded to Indian Dominion by signing the Instrument of Accession. But the compulsions of Pan-Islamism and inspired by the “Two Nation Theory”, the JeI was bound to traverse a political path that challenged the territorial integrity of India.

Therefore, the JeI (Kashmir) came in conflict with the Indian state throughout the 1960s since it questioned the legality of India's administration of Jammu and Kashmir and demanded that the matter be solved by a plebiscite in accordance with UN Resolutions!

The Roots and Evolution of JeI (Kashmir):

The first all-India Ijtema of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind was held at Pathankot in 1945, which was attended by Sa'aduddin, Qara Saifuddin and Muhammad Hussain Chishti who went on to establish JeI in Kashmir and thus Sa'aduddin became the Amir, a position he held till 1985.

The JeI (Kashmir)'s first large Ijtema was organized in Srinagar in late 1945 which was attended by appreciable numbers including government servants, youth and traders.

JeI drew inspiration from the works of Islamist Ideologue, Maulana Maududi, categorized as “radical”, who founded JeI Hind and who drew his inspiration from Muslim Brotherhood. JeI (Kashmir) followed the ideology of Jinnah which promoted non-integration of Muslims with other communities. This non-integration principle was the basis for Jinnah’s All India Muslim League’s demand for Pakistan. Here is a sample of Jinnah’s non-integration doctrine: Muslims living in the then United Provinces were followers of Jinnah, but they formed a minority. When they asked Jinnah about their fate on the formation of Pakistan, Jinnah assured them that they could remain in India, migrate to Pakistan OR continue living in India but as Pakistani citizens! Indian Muslim leadership- political and religious- has ever been indoctrinating the Muslims with such poisonous separatism.

JeI (Kashmir)'s cadre came from middle-class families. They chose to work for Islam as advocated by Maulana Maududi. Jamia Masjid in Srinagar became the location of JeI (Kashmir)'s weekly meetings as the group distributed Maududi's literature. The Jamaat expanded its presence from Srinagar to other places in the Valley through its cadre.

Sa'aduddin spread the work of the JeI (Kashmir) from Kashmir Valley. He warned his colleagues in Kashmir that Jammu Muslims needed to be helped otherwise they could be Hinduised in terms of culture and faith!

The Jamaat in particular appealed to lower middle class young men from towns such as Srinagar, Baramulla and Sopore and were typically from the first generation of educated members of their families. This class found in the Jamaat a medium for political assertion.

By the 1970s the JeI (Kashmir) had become a powerful organization with a membership presence all over the state, but the organization remained a largely Kashmiri Muslim group.

Why did JeI (Kashmir) participate in Elections?

Although the JeI (Kashmir) questioned J&K accession to India yet it chose to participate in the elections which were held under the framework of the Indian Constitution. This was the strategy to employ democratic means to expand its influence and prepare for the gradual acquisition of the government machinery (Somewhat similar to Communist Ideology that professes destruction from within). That it had succeeded in acquiring complete and total control of the then government machinery was obvious from the way genocide was committed on Pandit community and their exile ensured. It justified its participation in the elections as a means to influence the Indian government to resolve the “Kashmir” dispute.

The Difference between JeI (Kashmir) & “Mainstream” Political Outfits:

The JeI (Kashmir) did whatever they did very overtly and the “mainstream” outfits did no different, but very covertly. The “mainstream” stabbed India in her back while enjoying full power in the erstwhile state of J&K. JeI (Kashmir) could not have taken charge of administrative machinery but for the connivance of the ruling “mainstream” outfit.

Ban does not serve any purpose:

Banning any organization does not help in any way. It only further glorifies the banned one because it, in perception of its followers and others, elevates it to being the powerful one with a latent potential to challenge the State. For, the ideology- political or religious- does not get banned and nor do the cadres. The Ideology with which the masses identify themselves lives in their mind and soul and hence does not get banned. The fund collection for their work is doable by a dedicated cadre. The activities to the extent of keeping the Agenda alive can go on and there is no way those can be stopped. Any political ideology and/or a political movement which is anti-Nation and aims to create turmoil in the societies have to be handled only politically. 

India and the Arab/Muslim World:

Waters in excess have flown down the Ganges, Sind, Chenab and Tigris, etcetera; since 1986. Too many floods and too much erosion of fertile soil have occurred since the Pandits were exiled in 1990. OIC is near defunct. Pan-Islamism has gone for a toss as is very clear from the Israel-Hamas conflict. Muhammad Bin Salman of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is distancing his kingdom from Sharia. The United Arab Emirates is in the same boat. Abrahamic accords have been signed in the Middle East! The Afghan Taliban wants to do business with India. Central Asian countries are busy building and strengthening ties with India. On the whole, the Arab/Muslim world is quite friendly with India and plans to do business with her for ensuring economic wellbeing of its people anticipating diminishing returns on the export of Black Gold.

Pakistan is on the brink of a collapse- economic, social and political. POK, KPK and Baluchistan are leading movements for independence from Pakistan. So, Pakistan too cannot be of any material help to JeI (Kashmir) to further its agenda on Kashmir. The UN has long ago declared its resolutions on the J & K plebiscite as defunct. So, the question is: what role does JeI (Kashmir) see for itself in the changed scenario; given that its roots are in Pan-Islamism and Maulana Maududi Pure Islam. And, why is JeI (Kashmir) keen on contesting elections?

Why this desire to Contest Assembly Elections?

The bigger question is: at whose instance has JeI (Kashmir) expressed intent to contest upcoming Assembly elections? Is it the PAGD Gang or the Ministry of Home Affairs or self-motivation? Why they participated in elections in the pre 1990 era is explained in the aforesaid lines.

The analysis of LS election results may have assured them that had they contested the elections then the cross-section of voters (appreciable in numbers in Kashmir Valley) who abstained from voting could have voted for JeI (Kashmir). It may not be too speculative to state that those who abstained- a majority of them, if not all- form its hard-core base. If one casts a glance at the voting percentage in the LS elections of 2024 from J&K, then from the data available the figures are the following:

In Jammu and Udhampur constituencies the voting % was 72.22 and 68.27; whereas in Baramulla, Srinagar and Anantnag-Rajouri constituencies the voting % was 59.1, 38.49 and 55.4, respectively. JeI (Kashmir) had/has a strong base in the Valley and it would not be out of place to suggest that in case of its participation it would have made an impact in the final outcome of the results from Kashmir Valley; most of the votes grabbed by NC and PDP could have fallen in to their kitty because of its much higher credibility in mouthing such narratives as were rolled out by the NC and PDP combine. JeI (Kashmir) earned this higher credibility by openly contesting India’s locus-standi in J&K all through, before earning a ban. Therefore, JeI (Kashmir) may be anticipating a role of King Maker post Assembly elections.

The PAGD gang have never been JeI (Kashmir)’s political adversary. They were always on the same page with regard to their obnoxious anti-India political object, only modus-operandi differed. So, in their analysis if the vote bank of JeI (Kashmir) has remained intact, if not increased, then under a genuine dispensation of free and fair elections it is very likely that JeI (Kashmir) may win in as many constituencies, if it contests in a pre-poll alliance with NC and PDP, as would go to strengthen the obnoxious political agenda of PAGD – rolled out by it during LS elections- in post poll coalition governance of the UT of J&K.

The Ministry of Home Affairs may have prompted JeI (Kashmir) to express intent for contesting elections. With a promise that during its campaign all logistic and financial support shall be provided for, subject to the pact that JeI (Kashmir) shall honour J&K’s accession to India and work within the Constitution of India. The then NDA government tried the same experiment with the then newly formed PDP, but PDP on forming the coalition government with Congress cheated on NDA. The BJP may be hoping for a possibility for a coalition government in J&K with JeI (Kashmir) leading it; based on the assessment that it is going to win a majority of seats in Jammu region and a few in the Valley. BJP may facilitate it to checkmate the PAGD gang on its avowed political agenda. PAGD members, if offered a chance to form a coalition government from its members would not augur well for whatever levels of peace and tranquillity have been achieved in J&K.

The Most Pertinent Question:

Will the elections be held in the first place in the UT of J&K in view of increased frequency of terror attacks post LS elections? Not in my opinion. The SC may be sounded the reasons why elections cannot be held. The SC shall have to comply.