Abid Ahmad Shah:
Peace is the foundation of prosperity among the nation states of the world and
harmony forms the basic foundation of that enterprise. Man is the wonderful
creation of God with an inherent sense of metaphysical and worldly belongings.
The savage societies of the pre-historic times without any order and hierarchy of
the social organisation subsequently in the long timeframe paved way for the
foundations of nation states and social organisations with proper moral and a
social order.
Although, the onslaught of the forces of globalisation after post-modernism
have added a new colour to the contours of social dynamics and set in motion a
new wave of societal organisations in the world, the case of Kashmir portrays a
different tale of ever-evolving, unaltered communal harmony. The only
the narrative that can ensure an atmosphere of peace and prosperity is that of the
peaceful coexistence in the society in order to avert the crisis that makes inroads
within a society from time to time.
Jammu and Kashmir is the only northern state of India with the longest tag of
amity and brotherhood that has survived the currents of time and remains so in
the contemporary times. Kashmir called as the land of rishis, saints, seers and
sadhus are known for its communal harmony not only at the local level, but also
the world over since times immemorial.
The sort of mysticism that the Sufi and Bhakti movements have lent to the
cultural ethos of Kashmir is found much nowhere in the world besides Kashmir.
The vale of Kashmir is full of various religious faiths who have survived the
onslaught of the forces of globalisation with the changing signs of time.
Muslims form the majority of the vale along with the religious people of
Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians; etc.
Over the period of time, a sort of communal harmony has permeated the socio-
cultural space of the society creating a congenial atmosphere of communitarian
responsibility and social bond among the people of Kashmir surpassing
religious lines of thought. This has not only added to the peace horizon of the
land but also created a sense of mutual trust and unified bond among the
various communities of the land. In Kashmir, the communal harmony is deep-rooted
in the historical narratives.
The ethos of the Kashmir culture has time and again withstood the travails and
tribulations of the time despite the currents of odds and challenges through the
changing times. On a minuscule scale, there has been a disturbance to the
communal harmony of the state following the partition of the Sub-continent into
India and Pakistan.
The exodus of the Hindus in the nineties ascribed to the circumstances was a gory
chapter in the chronicles of Jammu and Kashmir history. However, the return of
the same has added a new threshold to the scene. The separatist leadership has
time and again been vocal for their return as being part and parcel of our
composite Kashmiri culture.
However, the time has served as the best healer of the same wounds and paved
renewed ways for the cherishing of the communal harmony. The social
harmony vindicates the notions of love and affection among different religions
and is a blessing in disguise for the times.
Status
The state of Jammu and Kashmir reflects the true plural ethos of the secular
India where people of different communities strive for love and harmony,
complementing the lives of each other on a day-to-day basis.
The festivals of one community are celebrated with gaiety and fervour by the
other religious community, solidifying the ethos of multiculturalism and
pluralism. Kashmir represents the thread of the confluence of communal
harmony and brotherhood. The communal harmony of the state is neither instant
nor accidental but is a legacy of the past times till date that has permeated the
psyche of the people and created a bond of unity in the socio-cultural milieu of
the valley.
The recent installation of a church bell in a church at Srinagar after a span of 50
years by the Christian community with the support of the Sikh, Muslim and
Hindu communities is a reminder of communal harmony that is deep-rooted in
the cultural milieu of the state.
The annual Hindu pilgrimage of the Amarnath yatra is the biggest and ever
a glaring example of the amity where old and young, men and women, etc all are
hospitably treated with care and concern by the native Muslims and even carried
on their shoulders towards the sacred place of the cave through the difficult terrains
and ways en route to the cave.
In the town of Seer Hamdan, Anantnag, the legal heir of a deceased Hindu
Pandit namely Arzan Nath is a Muslim man namely Nissar Ahmad Wagay. Long
ago, through the oral history of the people, have heard of him serving the former
during ups and downs of life. Arzan Nath was a govt employee with no one to
look after. Nissar Ahmad served him through the turbulent times and offered
heart-catching services, which even a true descendant, could not offer. Nissar
used to accompany Arzan Nath through thick and thin times of life. Having
personally observed, both of them used to pay the dusk obeisance at the shrine
of Hazrat Shahi Hamdan (R.A.). At the time of his death, it was none other than
Nissar who performed the last services to the deceased.
Another Hindu Pandit Shadi Lal in the same town is a hope for the hopeless
patients who turn up in large numbers at his Ayurvedic shop. The most
important trait of the said person is that he cares and heals the patients of the
whole South Kashmir. In other words, he has turned out to be a saviour of the
whole community. Come dawn, the people could be seen in large flocks outside
his shop. People respect him out of reverence and reciprocate in great regard.
Recently, after suffering from body disease, the final remedy to my ailment
surfaced only after I took the herbal medicine of the pandit gee.
Challenges
The biggest obstacle and roadblock for the cherished of the ideal of
communal harmony in India is the fanaticism and extremism of fringe elements
of society. Since, all religions preach the message of peace and harmony,
there can be no way to justify the claims of the demeaning and demoralising of
whatsoever religious community a society carries on. The biggest issue of the
current and contemporary times is to contain the fringe elements of the society
and let the people live in whatsoever capacity they live to carry on the cog in the
wheel of life.
The Few reasons in the path of communal harmony are:- Egoism, Lack of
vision in Education, Lack of discipline, Lack of Cooperation, Social disorder,
Casteism, Violence, Immorality, Lack of faith in true religious values, a deficit of
good leadership, etc.
Education can be exploited as a powerful tool against these threats in the path of
Communal Harmony. On his return from South Africa, Gandhiji envisioned for
a unity among different communities of India and did his best in capacity for the
realization of the same.
Last Word
In order to realise the goal of communal harmony, peace is the main pre-
requisite and a necessary condition. Disharmony creates the forces of disarray
and disruption, rendering harmony handicapped and ultimately towards a state
of paralysis. To promote the ethic of communal harmony, it is imperative for all
the stakeholders of the society to play a part in particular and work in sync for
the realization of the same in general.
Youth as a main driving force and an asset of a nation can be the best
ambassadors of peace and communal harmony. The only way to achieve that
goal is the proper education of the youth across the spectrum of education
spanning the whole level of education. This way youth can learn to make
communal harmony as a way of living, rather than ethic in simpler terms.
Besides, the govt of the state, as well as the centre, have a shared responsibility to
promote communal harmony further.
Although, some groundwork has been done,, there are still miles to go
before we sleep. The need of the hour is the further promotion of the communal
harmony in the society. The recent publication of ‘Living in Harmony’ books
for school going children by Oxford University Press (OUP) in India to foster
values of peace and cooperation is a good attempt.
Also, the Social media and yellow journalism of the mainland India should try
to cherish the instances of communitarian love and amity in Jammu and
Kashmir. Instead of fomenting trouble to earn TRP’s and portrayal of the news
which creates a wedge in the bond of the society, the main urge should be to
plead the cases of injustices and show a solidarity for the same. The problem of
binary has to do away with.
Today, when the world is envisioning for the state of annihilation of crisis, the
crisis in Kashmir takes a major sway with each passing day. The gory tales of
widows, half-widows and orphans who have been rendered so after the loss of
their dear ones have permeated the society deeply and created a multidimensional
a layer of unwithering pain and sorrow and a state of unabated alienation of the
masses.
The question is not of the otherness of the other, but, of oneself in tandem with
the other. Not a single day is devoid of pain, agony, and other tragedies. The question is the question of order. The major onus lies on the representatives of the people who represent the masses which have been rendered heart-broken and empty hoped. Let the seers of politics take on. The answer to all the problems can be cherished in unity within the broader perspectives of the humane approach by which peace can return to a treacherous path within the domain of the whole society. The government in J& K should understand and circumvent in Toto and try to dive from the static deficit of governance to good governance. After all, time in consonance with care serves as the best cosset.
(The author can be reached at [email protected]).