As Kashmir significantly regains the path back to normalcy it is important to recount the ideological siege that Kashmir was subjected to in the last thirty years. While we move ahead on the path of peace and development, it is important not to forget what we went through in our dark times. It is worth mentioning that Kashmir’s 5,000-year-old socio-cultural milieu was put under siege by the externally imposed extremist ideology and how this ideology aimed to violently change what Kashmir and Kashmiriyat stood for.
Over the last three decades, Kashmir has witnessed the destruction of indigenous ideals such as pluralism and tolerance, orchestrated by the neighbouring country’s establishment, resulting in extremism and violence. The violent imposition of these principles in Kashmir has been more malevolent than one could have anticipated. In the tumultuous times of 1947, it was the secular and democratic underpinnings that aligned Kashmir with India, rejecting the two-nation theory. The concept of a secular democracy naturally resonated with Kashmiriyat, grounded in the universal principles of secularism and pluralism.
The pluralist ethos which has historically defined the idea of Kashmir and Kashmiriyat. Unfortunately, we have had to pay a heavy price because of the mindless violence and political unrest caused by Pakistan’s proxy war and cultural/ideological cleansing. Both politically and culturally, our existence came under severe attack. However, it is often stated that pluralist ideals are best valued in places where they are under heavy onslaught. Their true value is realized in their absence, and this is what Kashmiris like this writer have been tragically made to feel in their lives so far.
As we mark 76 years of Accession, it is time that we Kashmiris pledge to uphold and fight for the great ideals which our 5,000-year-old syncretic culture has given to us. It is important to reclaim it collectively in the given circumstances if we are to survive. We just cannot let “Pakistaniyat” destroy us anymore, something completely antithetical to what Kashmiriyat stands for.
Kashmiri culture has been influenced by the ideals of Buddhism, Shaivism, and Sufism. It was through the blending of these three philosophies that the idea of Kashmiriyat was nourished and propagated. Lord Buddha is said to have remarked that Kashmir is a land of Dhyana and Samagra (Contemplation and Meditation) for the peace, amity, tolerance, and quietude it offers.
The Sufi mystic vision presents the teachings and literature poetry of Kashmiri saints and poets like Lala Ded and Nund Rishi who gave essence to the idea of Kashmiriyat. The whole focus of this great ideal was on pluralism, tolerance, amity, and brotherhood transcending all socio-religious and sectarian barriers. Lal Ded is very important in the articulation of Kashmiriyat Elaborating her universal mystical vision borne out of the philosophy of Shaivism, Lala Ded writes:
Shiva abides in all that is, everywhere.
Then do not distinguish between a Hindu and a Muslim.
If thou art wise, know thyself
That is true knowledge of the Lord.
I gave up falsehood, deceit, untruth,
I saw the one in all fellow beings, and
Preached the same doctrine to the mind.
What then is the inhibition in eating?
The food offered by a fellow human being.
Her thought is further preached by a long line of mystics or Sufis as they spread the universal values and message; who are respected by Kashmiris of all hues. One of the prominent figures among these is Sheikh-ul Aalam, who is often referred to as Lal Ded’s spiritual successor. His teachings also form the core of the idea of Kashmiriyat. Sheikh-ul Aalam states his pluralist vision:
We bear no ill will to each other,
Should our love bind us all alike, Hindu and Muslim,
Then surely God is pleased with us
The idea of Kashmiriyat as a way of life was further nourished and propagated by mystics and poets like Rupa Bhawani, Arnimal, Rahim Sahab, Shamas Faqir, Wahab Khaar, and many more. This led to the articulation of Kashmiriyat as the most fundamental and defining element of Kashmiri identity.
On the other hand, “Pakistaniyat” for which many Kashmiris rather foolishly suffered unabated. Many Kashmiris had fallen into the bait thus bringing chaos upon themselves just for some guys enjoying the privilege in Rawalpindi. We need to orient our future generations in blunt terms so that they never again self-destruct themselves for the privileged Pakistanis. This privileged establishment has been playing the ideology of Two Nations for its benefit. The need is to demystify the propaganda by Pakistan We need to think about our own lives and our future rather than the privileged establishment which has a long history of oppressing other identities besides non-Sunnis. The Pakistani flag cannot cover the mass atrocities being committed by privileged establishments in Pakistan daily.
In the rural areas of Punjab, Sindh, KPK and Baluchistan where Jagirdari (feudalism) is still prevalent, ancient age-type slavery still exists. Pakistan is essentially ruled by an exploitative nexus of feudal-military clergy. It was created in the name of Islam, but it broke down into two parts within 24 years because of the Punjabi and Urdu-speaking establishment’s brutal political, cultural, and economic oppression of Bengalis in East Pakistan. Balochs, Sindhis, Mohajirs and Pashtuns from time to time have resisted Punjabi domination.
To suppress various ethnic struggles within Pakistan as its existence is so fractured, a deliberate policy of encouraging extremism and fundamentalism due to struggles for justice. There is no unifying factor in Pakistan except the promotion of religious extremism and fundamentalism. But this comes at a cost of ultimate self-destruction as these groups ultimately acquire much power and ideology. However, the Pakistani establishment continues to use them against internal dissenters and outside the country in Kashmir and Afghanistan. Within Pakistan, no dissent is tolerated, and journalists and intellectuals are frequently targeted and forced into migration or submission. In recent times, intellectuals who dared to critique were brutally murdered. These include Sabeen Mahmud, SalmanTaseer, Mashal Khan, and many others. Their killers enjoy the patronage and protection of ISI.
Pakistani farce called democracy is controlled and dictated by the Punjabi-dominated military. Any politician who doesn’t toe the line is shunted out like Zulfikar Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif and even Imran Khan now. The real power centre in Pakistan is not Islamabad, but the army General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. The military also has acquired immense wealth, land, and corporate ownership at the cost of poor Pakistani people. The military establishment manufactures constant delusions and untruths to keep the gullible Pakistani masses in ignorance. As one famous Pakistani author and former ambassador writes: “About 95 per cent of Pakistanis were born after partition, but the Pakistani education system reinforces a national narrative that airbrushes a lot of history out and photoshops a lot of non-history into people’s minds.
So, Pakistan generally has a national discourse that has not always been completely open. Pakistani nationalism has been built around two ideas: antipathy to India, and Islam as a political slogan. So those two mixed do confuse the people, and don’t forget that half of Pakistanis are illiterate, and that 42 percent of school-age children don’t go to school of any sort. Also, there are very organised Islamic political parties that use violence to make sure that facts and history are not openly discussed and debated.”
Imagine if a country does this distortion in the minds of its people by feeding lies and propaganda, how would it think of us? Isn’t it our responsibility to expose such propaganda which is meant to harm us? The choice is clear— whether to choose life, amity, or pluralism over hate, death, and division. It is heartening to see that Kashmiris are slowly but surely realising the importance of peace normalcy and development. Through this and with the proactive support of government policy initiatives, they seem to have reclaimed the space from external aggressors, thus thwarting the advent of Pakistaniyat. There is a feeling of genuine hope in the air nowadays in Kashmir. Finally, we can say that despite the nefarious endeavours of Pakistan to destroy Kashmiriyat, it is the time-tested ideal of the ideology of Kashmiriyat that has ultimately triumphed.
Basharat Bhat is an academician based in Srinagar with a keen interest in politics and culture.