Mehbooba Mufti's Letter to LG of J&K UT Strengthens KP community's Homeland Demand: Lalit k kaul

Mehbooba Mufti's Letter to the LG of J&K UT Strengthens KP community's Homeland Demand 

 Lalit K Kaul

Kashmiri Pandit community's return to Kashmir is not to be deliberated upon by the Muslim Clergy and Political Leadership in the Valley. Much less are they qualified to initiate a dialogue with the LG of J&K UT and the Home Minister of India about it. Because those who committed genocide on KP community and forced them into exile from their land of heritage can’t take it upon themselves to set the terms and conditions of their return and unfold the modus-operandi for implementing the same. For the simple reason that Muslims don’t own that piece of land called Kashmir. It’s not their fiefdom.

Mehbooba Mufti’s letter to LG absolves Kashmiri Muslims of the genocidal acts that they committed against the Kashmiri Pandit community under the direction and supervision of their political and religious leadership in Kashmir and the whole process was well thought over and organized immaculately before its implementation on the ground.

Mehbooba Mufti’s Letter to LG:

Let’s analyse how implementable is Ms Mehbooba Mufti’s road map for return of Kashmiri Pandit community to the Valley ignoring the fact that she has no authority to do so unilaterally.

The Key Words/expressions in her letter to LG are: “opportunity”, “return”, “displacement”, “reintegration/integration”, “reconciliation”, “migrant”, “pluralistic ethos”, “risk zones- high, moderate, low”, “political empowerment through reserved representation”, “sensitivities of the existing population”

Her letter reads, “…to ensure that our Pandit brothers and sisters, who were tragically displaced from their homeland, are provided with the opportunity to return …”.

First part of the above sentence is misinformation and the second part smacks of arrogance because it implicitly declares Kashmir as fiefdom of Muslims and, therefore, the return of Kashmiri Pandit community to the Valley is possible only if an opportunity to do so is provided to them by Muslims. This is the core characteristic of Islam and it defines the dynamics of a Muslim ruled state; that those who survived mass massacre and yet didn’t convert were allowed to live as “Dhimmis”.

The Kashmiri Pandit community wasn’t “tragically displaced” by chance. The Jan 19, 1990 forced exodus and the mass massacres thereafter were not considered by Muslims as “tragic” events, but triumphant moments betraying victory of “believers” over “non-believers”!

“Integration/Reintegration”:

Starting July 13, 1931 “integration” became a casualty; The barbarism inflicted by Muslims on Kashmiri Pandit community on that day was the open declaration that the latter were unwelcome in Kashmir and with the advent of Muslim rule in Kashmir post J&K state’s accession to Indian Union, the discriminations against the Kashmiri Pandit community on social, political, economical and religious planes were systematically institutionalized which led to peaceful but steady exile (not migration) of the community from Kashmir in search of vocational education, jobs and safe shelters. This was peaceful genocide that continued until 1986 when, thereafter, genocidal acts became all too frequent to culminate into Jan 19, 1990 and thereafter.

An Ideology that’s intolerant to cultural and religious pluralism cannot allow integration because it strives to achieve assimilation of religious minorities into dominant religious group. And, in such a religiously motivated community, to talk of “pluralistic ethos” is a cruel joke.

That Kashmiri Muslims failed to achieve assimilation of Kashmiri Pandit community into their fold was due to the latter’s sheer grit and determination and it symbolized the triumph of good over evil.

Reconciliation:

Reconciliation is a process in which two or multiple social/ethnic groups having realized that their respective roles in the composite society had created a breach of trust amongst them voluntarily or otherwise come to the table for sorting out their differences and resolve to coexist. This process may lead to putting in place a mechanism that ensures that differences arising from time to time don’t reach unmanageable proportions. In the case of Kashmiri society, the KP community had not contributed in any way to disturb the in-place social fabric by coming in the way of Muslim’s way of life that one may argue led Muslims to take recourse to genocidal acts. The Pandit community had no role in the religio-political dynamics that evolved beginning 1986; it evolved because a dominant socio-religious group aimed at homogenizing the Kashmiri society.

Therefore, how can there be any reconciliation between the two groups with contrasting world-views of their respective religions? One declares the whole world to be one family whereas the other promotes hatred and intolerance towards other groups. Else, is it being suggested that the Kashmiri Pandit community should forget their genocide in and forced exile from Kashmir and approach Muslims and tell them that they would be willing to live like Dhimmis! Why would Kashmiri Muslims seek reconciliation? They lord over entire region; billions of dollars’ worth development they are enjoying.

“Political Empowerment through Reserved Representation”:

In a society whose dominant religion denies Right to Life for other smaller religious groups, the very life of others is under perpetual threat. In such an environment what’s the relevance of “political empowerment”? When the majority community is indoctrinated in mosques and madrasas with hatred and intolerance towards non-Muslims, how probable it is that the “elected representatives” plans for non-Muslims related to, 1) their economic empowerment, 2) ensuring religious freedom and 3) creation of educational opportunities may get implemented!

How elected representatives of Kashmiri Pandit community from two reserved Assembly constituencies may be able to checkmate the designs of indoctrinated Muslims to safeguard their community’s life, honour, dignity and properties? Even if the Home Ministry was offered to one of the elected representatives, there is every possibility that highly sensitized security set-up may not pay any heed to his/her plans for maintaining peace between the dominant Muslim community and other miniscule minority communities.

If the two elected representatives happen to land up in the opposition benches then they shall become dis-empowered and, therefore, unable to work for the Minority communities because it is and has been the tradition in Indian Parliament and State Assemblies to block the voices of the opposition if possible or else defeat their motion through voting! And if the ruling party is ingrained with Islam’s Ideology then Allah’s forces shall have a field day.

So for all the practical purposes this “political empowerment” initiative turns out to be like a prematurely aborted baby or else like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia depositing three billion dollars in Pak’s favour in Pakistan’s National Bank with a caveat that Pakistan cannot spend it!

“Risk zones- High, Moderate, Low”: That “Risk Zones” do exist for non-Muslims and migrant labour, etcetera and not for local Muslims, is what her letter implies. Those who are going to target them are none but local Kashmiri Muslims. In pre 1986 era there were no “Risk zones”. Who created that indoctrinated cadre? The Muslim Clergy and Political leadership of Kashmiri Muslims. One can ride a tiger but can’t get down from it.

So what’s it that can be inferred from such graded “risk zones”? That by placing KP employees in “low risk” zones would reduce the probability of attacks on their lives in comparison to if placed in “high risk” zones; that lesser lives shall be sacrificed at the altar of “Kashmiriat” is a huge concession to Dhimmis.

It also implies that there are no safe zones in the Valley for KP community! That being the Truth how insane/ incongruous or religiously motivated is the proposal of Ms Mehbooba Mufti for return of KP community to the Valley.

“Sensitivities of the Existing Population”:

Now! Now! here it’s that the Cat is out of the Bag. “Sensitivities of the existing population” at once categorizes/classifies the KP community as a rank outsider which for some geo-political reasons requires to be adjusted in the Valley. Existing Population! It’s 99.99% Muslim! So, what possibly comprise a set of their “sensitivities”?

These “sensitivities” among other things have to do with the conditions as laid out by those who call shots in the Valley- irrespective of the political outfit in power- and because of whom “risk zones” exist. It concedes existence of an Islamic state and which may be allowed to be adulterated under certain terms and conditions as set by the actual rulers in Kashmir. This implies that the KP community shall not have the kind of religious freedom that it enjoyed prior to 1986 and shall be dictated to perform their religious rites and celebrate their festivals as per the guidelines set by Muslim leadership. Remember Dhimmis!

The other “sensitivities” pertain to employment in government jobs including in schools, colleges and university; admissions in university, engineering, medical and law colleges and promotion policy for career growth of employees. Post 1990 era all and whole was up for grabs for Kashmiri Muslims and that grabbing culture was strengthened by the farcical PM Yojna for KP employment which was not to impinge upon the job’s availability in state government and it’s feared that all this may change with KP’s return to the Valley. Ms Mehbooba Mufti’s letter doesn’t make mention of KP community’s right to get their share of jobs from the pool of UT.

To conclude about Mehbooba Mufti’s letter:

It’s like showcasing false secular credentials and concerns in an attempt to white wash the genocidal acts carried out by Kashmiri Muslims against non-Muslims and present “moderate” Islam to an uninformed non-Muslim. This stage-managed show was started by Moulvi Umar Farooq, followed up by Omar Abdullah and supported by Jamaat-e-Islami (out of the world Wonder) and now by Mehbooba Mufti- is like a relay race being conducted at the dictate of Modi-Shah duo who are too desperate to prove “common DNA” thesis of their boss, the RSS chief!

But here the greatest stumbling block for all such orchestrated shows to be successful is A Kashmiri Pandit who knows inside-out of Kashmiri Muslim’s political and religious leadership and has thoroughly experienced Islam beginning 1378, first by the barbarism inflicted by Muslim Kings at the behest of Sufis and then in post independent India by those aboriginals of Kashmir who had preferred a few days of life over sustenance of their Faith; the likes of some gullible ones and those with an agenda from among the Kashmiri Pandit community, notwithstanding.

The analysis in the aforesaid lines bring out unviability of Mehbooba Mufti’s proposals thus strengthening the case for creation of Homeland for rehabilitation of KP community in the Valley. And since the Indian Constitution guarantees Right to Life and practice of religion for all citizens therefore Homeland for KP community becomes the Inviolable Imperative.

Kashmiri Muslims should support Homeland Demand:

It shall be in their interest to do so. Except for a small region (KP Homeland) demarcated as “to the East and North of River Jhelum”, the entire Valley shall not only be theirs, but it shall also be rid of all “non-believers” and that would be fulfilment of Islam’s Ideology both in letter and spirit- fulfilment of Aurangzeb Ka Khawab. All the immovable properties belonging to “non-believers” in small and big towns including the Villages shall fall into their hands including the houses in Srinagar. Huge wealth shall fall into their hands like a ripened peer falls into the lap of a person sitting under the tree.

The Muslim Clergy may undertake to establish their part of Kashmir as “Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies”. They may upgrade madrasas to become centres of excellence for imparting education in science and technology.

The Bottom Line: It’s for the leadership of KP community to decide upon the terms and conditions for their return to the Valley and discuss those with the HMO and PMO for chalking out the road map for their return to a demarcated region in the Valley which would be insulated from the onslaught of Islamic barbarism on “non-believers”. The demarcated region lies to the East and North of River Vitasta which is to be a UT and would be KP Homeland. In the meanwhile theatrics can go on.