Kashmir Politics-The Sunni Phenomenon

T N Dhar Kundan 

Politics, they say, is the art of the obvious. The tragedy of Kashmir politics has been that it is neither perfected as an art by the parties concerned nor are they able to see and gauge the obvious or perhaps for them Kashmir politics is an exercise in an imaginary and make-believe world. It is conveniently forgotten that Kashmir is only a constituent of the larger Jammu and Kashmir State. It is also out of their reckoning that even Kashmir is inhabited by other religious groups, maybe they are minorities only. An important historical fact is also ignored that time and again there has been displacement of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley and even these people, the real sons of the soil, have been denied their rights in this State under the now infamous Article 370 what to talk of other non-Kashmiri Indians. Mr M.D. Nalapat has brought out some of the relevant facts in this connection in his article published in the Times of India of January 1, 1996, and has concluded that the insurgency there is overwhelmingly a 'Valley Sunni phenomenon'. He writes:

"In 1977, soon after the victory of his party in the assembly polls, Sheikh Abdullah adopted a policy of appeasement of religious extremists. The essentially secular nature of 'Kashmiriyat' was eroded, and in its place was established a culture that had much in common with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. However, thanks to the NC's concentration on its Valley Sunni base, the other Muslim groups-Shias, Gujjars and Baltis-were left unaffected by this indoctrination. As a consequence, to this day these groups have refused to join in the insurgency, which is overwhelmingly. a Valley Sunni phenomenon.

While the Hindus of Jammu and the Buddhists of Ladakh have been opposed to the cry for azadi of the militants, what is not so well known is that even in Kashmir proper the Valley Sunnis are outnumbered by the Gujjars, Shias, Baltis and Hindus. None of these groups is in favour of "autonomy" which they interpret as the continuation of Valley Sunni domination. A few weeks ago, the Shia leader Mohammed-din Cheetah resigned from the NC, saying that he opposed its demand for autonomy. Interestingly. the Saudi and Pakistani-funded Jamaat-i-Islami evokes no response from either the Gujjars or the Shias"

Mr Nalapat has blamed the State Government and all the political parties, both local and national, for the mess that Kashmir politics is in. He goes on to say: "While the full-blown version of the Kashmir insurgency erupted in 1990, the seeds were sown in 1984. That was the year Valley youth began going across the border for training. "Perhaps because it thought that a small dose of militancy would help its leverage with Delhi, the National Conference government took no action against such crossings", a state police officer claimed.

The National Conference, as also the Congress, the Janata Dal and the CPM, are dominated by the Valley Sunnis, who also head the pro-militant JKLF, Hurriyat Conference, People's Conference and People's League. Since 1947, care has been taken to ensure that the Valley Sunnis fill most of the government jobs. Rather than attempt to craft a base separate from the NC, the State unit of the Congress has also followed the same policy.

Another policy that unites the Congress and the NC is corruption. By 1991-92, the bulk of the Valley's Sunni intellectuals-lawyers, journalists and officials had got onto the azadi bandwagon.

Mr Nalapat has quoted A.S. Jamwal, a social analyst, underlined a vital fact of the separatist movement in the Valley, "a chain of religious schools was encouraged to be set up, in which youngsters were taught to regard themselves as different from the 'unbelievers' around them. Subtly these schools spread a separatist message."

Another fashionable word prevalent in connection with Kashmir politics is "autonomy". Even though our worthy Prime Minister has been magnanimous and gracious enough to promise "anything short of Azadi" for which "sky's the limit", again its full implications do not seem to be anybody's concern. Mr Nalapat has this to record:

A senior official of the State government had this to say when asked about the degree to which autonomy could be given to the State, without damaging national security: "Article 356 (which gives the right of Central intervention) has to remain. So also the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, The Comptroller and Auditor-General and the Election Commission. Packing off the IAS and the IPS will not be a problem, but internal security will need to be a Central responsibility for some time. Apart from this, there is no danger in giving autonomy.

"Yes, provided Jammu and Ladakh are given autonomy from Srinagar", said Hari Om, a History Professor in Jammu. "We are fed up with paying for the mischief done in the Valley. In case Jammu and Ladakh are not given autonomy, an agitation will begin in both places against Srinagar."

In Jammu and Ladakh, the impetus for separation from the rest of the state has got accelerated by what is seen as a Valley orchestrated militancy, 'Why should Jammu and Ladakh suffer for the follies of the Valley? Better that both separate from Kashmir." said Hari Om. A new group-the Jammu Mukti Morcha-has come up to articulate this demand. "Just as Ladakh finally got an autonomous council, Jammu should be given at least this," said Dr. Virender, its President

Dr. R.N. Sharma, a physician who had practised in the Valley for two decades, said that "What is seldom recognised is that the Valley is smaller than even the Doda district of Jammu It is only there that the terrorists are strong " When asked who were the groups supporting the militancy, Dr. Sharma had this to say: "These days only two groups, the local press and the local lawyers. The ordinary Kashmir has lost interest."

In the context of mal-distribution of revenues, almost nil collection of taxes from the Valley and other facts, Shri Ram Sahai, the President of Jammu Chamber of Commerce had this to say to Mr. Nalapat: "It is almost as though we are being penalised for being loyal to India, while those who subvert the country are rewarded."

This in political terms, is not as apt and true for anyone else as it is for Kashmiri Pandits. Penalised for being loyal to India. And on top of it, we are ignored, overlooked and uncared for in spite of being loyal to our country. But still our politics is straight and simple-return to our homeland with honour, a secure and dignified living there and rightful place in Kashmir as sons of the soil whether we were displaced recently or in the past. Alas! if only this could be so obvious to the authorities that be and to the policy makers of our country.

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Courtesy:- T N Dhar Kundan and February 1996 Koshur Samachar