Every social change is a complex phenomenon. There are so many factors which contribute to it. Most often the original factor or the raison d’etre gets overshadowed by contributive factors to the extent that outsiders completely overlook it. The contributive factors may come into play because of various reasons. At times they may be a result of outside influence like an attempt by those fighting for a cause to mobilize a society or attract sympathy or a social transformation.
Gandhi used the issue of Khilafat, to mobilize Indian Muslims against Britishers. Once he achieved this objective he dissociated from the Khilafat movement and invented the slogan of Ram-Raj to attract Hindus. Gandhi continues to be secular in spite of his blatant use of religion. He did it for promotion of Indian freedom struggle. Even the West, while ridiculing the genuine freedom struggles of Muslims as offshoots of “Islamic fundamentalism” has been using Islam in its tirade against communism. Americans supported “Islamic Resistance” in Afghanistan to counter and settle its scores with the former Soviet-Union. At that juncture of time Americans themselves facilitated induction and arming of Usama-Bin-Ladin into Afghanistan. None in the West raised objections to this policy of the United States. The reason was simple; the Afghan conflict was basically a genuine struggle against Russian invasion and Islam an important factor to motivate Afghans. Dalai Lama is highly revered in the West for his contribution in provoking Tibetan Buddhists against China. He has been rewarded for this role. No one questions credibility of his struggle on account of its leadership being dominated by clergy. Religion is also a core issue in the conflict of Ireland. The problem is between the Protestants and the Catholics. Association of this conflict with religion does not make the world indifferent towards it. Support for catholic resistance comes from American-Irish-Catholics. Identification of IRA (Irish Republican Army) with Catholics didn’t provoke Americans to discard it. IRA was not enumerated among terrorist groups even after 9/11.
Kashmiris have been struggling for freedom from India for many years now. The religion has been associated with Kashmir freedom struggle right from its inception. It was the British colonial administration which divided the sub-continent on the basis of religion, thus introducing the religion as an indispensable factor in all the issues that cropped up as a result of the partition. Despite religion being an indispensable factor related to Kashmir cause, Kashmiris till late seventies were led by a secular leader Sheikh Abdullah (1905-1982). Sheikh betrayed them towards the end of his life. Since secular leadership could not lead them to emancipation, Kashmiris like Palestinians had no choice but to look towards religious groups for continuing their struggle. Islamic groups became counter parts of Hamas in this part of the world. Religious slogans were used to mobilize the public and attract sympathy of the Muslim world. Though Islamic resistance groups working under Jihad Council, like IRA were not declared the terrorist groups despite all out Indian efforts. But at the same time, the west didn’t remain immune to Indian propaganda and was ready to digest this metamorphosis. The intellectuals both in India and the West were swayed by the propaganda of the Indian state and misunderstood the Kashmir struggle as an outburst of Muslim extremism. To add credibility to its misinformation campaign, Indians engineered ouster of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley so that they could be projected as victims of extremism. The world for a long time readily accepted the Indian version of these happenings and remained indifferent to sufferings. Though, the trend seems to be changing as is reflected by recent write ups and the statements of Milliband. People of Kashmir are unable to understand why religious orientation of their struggle has been misunderstood while its use by Gandhi and the West was never questioned. The world remained indifferent towards them even when their struggle was exclusively led by secularists. Experience has taught Kashmiris that it does not make any difference whether their struggle is secular or religious.
Religion and culture are important factors of alienation from India but not the sole factor as has been commonly misunderstood. Assimilating approach of the Indian state has created the sense of alienation among all the peripheral and marginalized identities and thus assertion of religo-cultural ethos on their part. Sense of insecurity among them has motivated them to demand separation for security of their religo-cultural identity. Dissociation of people of some districts of Jammu and Ladakh from freedom struggle contributed to this phenomenon by making Kashmir liberation movements exclusive domain of Muslims thus facilitating assertive role of Islam. This happened in pursuance of Indian policy of using Hindu minorities within non Hindu states as tools of perpetuation of status quo, thus transforming separatist movements into exclusive domains of religious assertion. Same happened in Punjab.
Imperialist attitude of Indian ruling elite has intensified this problem. They have been treating Non Hindi speaking regions as their colonies exploiting their resources and giving nothing in return. All these factors are vital components of Kashmiri alienation from India. It may be that Kashmir freedom struggle is influenced by these as an undercurrent under the cover of religion. Different actors of Kashmir freedom struggle reflect different facets of Kashmiri assertion. No one factor can overshadow others. Nevertheless one cannot deny Islam as the most important factor of Kashmir freedom struggle. It does not behoove leaders to lay exclusivist claims about the nature of freedom struggle. Denial of role of Islam by the ones whose locus standi in the Kashmir politics animates out of their association with religious places and pulpits amounts to cutting the very branch of a tree which beholds them. If religion gets altogether segregated from the struggle they too will fall from their positions like Sheikh Chilly’s of our classical literature. Even Gandhi could not overlook this fact of Kashmir politics and declared in his letter to P.N Bazaz in early thirties that being predominantly “Mussalman” populated, Kashmir one day is destined to become a “Mussalman” State (P.N Bazaz Kashmir in crucible page no. 176.). Politician Gandhi and his political progeny overlooked this realistic statement of Saint Gandhi thus landing India into Kashmir nightmare, a land which they are unable to digest or vomit. What Gandhi envisioned in thirties of previous century is more relevant in twenty first century, a century which has seen transformation of Muslim societies across the globe, a phenomenon to which Kashmir is no exception.
Gandhi used the issue of Khilafat, to mobilize Indian Muslims against Britishers. Once he achieved this objective he dissociated from the Khilafat movement and invented the slogan of Ram-Raj to attract Hindus. Gandhi continues to be secular in spite of his blatant use of religion. He did it for promotion of Indian freedom struggle. Even the West, while ridiculing the genuine freedom struggles of Muslims as offshoots of “Islamic fundamentalism” has been using Islam in its tirade against communism. Americans supported “Islamic Resistance” in Afghanistan to counter and settle its scores with the former Soviet-Union. At that juncture of time Americans themselves facilitated induction and arming of Usama-Bin-Ladin into Afghanistan. None in the West raised objections to this policy of the United States. The reason was simple; the Afghan conflict was basically a genuine struggle against Russian invasion and Islam an important factor to motivate Afghans. Dalai Lama is highly revered in the West for his contribution in provoking Tibetan Buddhists against China. He has been rewarded for this role. No one questions credibility of his struggle on account of its leadership being dominated by clergy. Religion is also a core issue in the conflict of Ireland. The problem is between the Protestants and the Catholics. Association of this conflict with religion does not make the world indifferent towards it. Support for catholic resistance comes from American-Irish-Catholics. Identification of IRA (Irish Republican Army) with Catholics didn’t provoke Americans to discard it. IRA was not enumerated among terrorist groups even after 9/11.
Kashmiris have been struggling for freedom from India for many years now. The religion has been associated with Kashmir freedom struggle right from its inception. It was the British colonial administration which divided the sub-continent on the basis of religion, thus introducing the religion as an indispensable factor in all the issues that cropped up as a result of the partition. Despite religion being an indispensable factor related to Kashmir cause, Kashmiris till late seventies were led by a secular leader Sheikh Abdullah (1905-1982). Sheikh betrayed them towards the end of his life. Since secular leadership could not lead them to emancipation, Kashmiris like Palestinians had no choice but to look towards religious groups for continuing their struggle. Islamic groups became counter parts of Hamas in this part of the world. Religious slogans were used to mobilize the public and attract sympathy of the Muslim world. Though Islamic resistance groups working under Jihad Council, like IRA were not declared the terrorist groups despite all out Indian efforts. But at the same time, the west didn’t remain immune to Indian propaganda and was ready to digest this metamorphosis. The intellectuals both in India and the West were swayed by the propaganda of the Indian state and misunderstood the Kashmir struggle as an outburst of Muslim extremism. To add credibility to its misinformation campaign, Indians engineered ouster of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley so that they could be projected as victims of extremism. The world for a long time readily accepted the Indian version of these happenings and remained indifferent to sufferings. Though, the trend seems to be changing as is reflected by recent write ups and the statements of Milliband. People of Kashmir are unable to understand why religious orientation of their struggle has been misunderstood while its use by Gandhi and the West was never questioned. The world remained indifferent towards them even when their struggle was exclusively led by secularists. Experience has taught Kashmiris that it does not make any difference whether their struggle is secular or religious.
Religion and culture are important factors of alienation from India but not the sole factor as has been commonly misunderstood. Assimilating approach of the Indian state has created the sense of alienation among all the peripheral and marginalized identities and thus assertion of religo-cultural ethos on their part. Sense of insecurity among them has motivated them to demand separation for security of their religo-cultural identity. Dissociation of people of some districts of Jammu and Ladakh from freedom struggle contributed to this phenomenon by making Kashmir liberation movements exclusive domain of Muslims thus facilitating assertive role of Islam. This happened in pursuance of Indian policy of using Hindu minorities within non Hindu states as tools of perpetuation of status quo, thus transforming separatist movements into exclusive domains of religious assertion. Same happened in Punjab.
Imperialist attitude of Indian ruling elite has intensified this problem. They have been treating Non Hindi speaking regions as their colonies exploiting their resources and giving nothing in return. All these factors are vital components of Kashmiri alienation from India. It may be that Kashmir freedom struggle is influenced by these as an undercurrent under the cover of religion. Different actors of Kashmir freedom struggle reflect different facets of Kashmiri assertion. No one factor can overshadow others. Nevertheless one cannot deny Islam as the most important factor of Kashmir freedom struggle. It does not behoove leaders to lay exclusivist claims about the nature of freedom struggle. Denial of role of Islam by the ones whose locus standi in the Kashmir politics animates out of their association with religious places and pulpits amounts to cutting the very branch of a tree which beholds them. If religion gets altogether segregated from the struggle they too will fall from their positions like Sheikh Chilly’s of our classical literature. Even Gandhi could not overlook this fact of Kashmir politics and declared in his letter to P.N Bazaz in early thirties that being predominantly “Mussalman” populated, Kashmir one day is destined to become a “Mussalman” State (P.N Bazaz Kashmir in crucible page no. 176.). Politician Gandhi and his political progeny overlooked this realistic statement of Saint Gandhi thus landing India into Kashmir nightmare, a land which they are unable to digest or vomit. What Gandhi envisioned in thirties of previous century is more relevant in twenty first century, a century which has seen transformation of Muslim societies across the globe, a phenomenon to which Kashmir is no exception.
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