Community s home return choices are shrinking KPs should keep their institutions afloat

 

The deep-running dilemma of Kashmiri Pandits (KPS), for the past 28 years on going back to their homes in the Kashmir valley, is no longer based on emotions and indigenous pride. It is now opinionated till the last member of the community The overwhelming agreement and willingness that existed, in the first couple of decades within KP community following its mass exodus of 1990, to go back to home on the slightest opportunity, has now become individualistic.

People, now openly advocate about good life and freedom that has come with displacement Being scattered nationally and globally is taken in good stead Settlement on as and where-basis is seen the most pragmatic closure to the KPs issue of displacement With on an average one engineer in every family, thanks to reservations, the mobility of families to industrial corridors and service hubs, is seen as a sign of prosperity In a nutshell, a segment of society is experiencing an empowerment of thousands of years!

 

The comfort zones are multiplying from homes to off shore locations. Life was never this good before. Ending the Kashmir connection is now a matter of choice. It can remain in memories, a few food preparations and maybe cosmetic rituals. A civilization comes to an end!

 

However, unfortunate as it may sound, no society is homogenous KP community too is also composed of rich, poor and the in-between strata A peculiar and unique characteristic of the community has been that its economy traditionally was driven by salaries or very small retail trades and some supplementary agricultural income, And, this equilibrium fell apart with mass migration.

Those who were expected to get government jobs didn't. The alternatives brought more uncertainty as the unlearning and relearning culturally, as well as on skills and competency, took its own time and toll Some succeeded and others didn't Most of this population was in prime youth then. And with the cost of living going overtly up consistently, coping with life for this vast segment is still an ongoing struggle.

The poverty conditions are not entirely missing within the community. A good number of families are living below the poverty line For thousands of families the government's success in the form of monthly financial assistance is the only income and sustenance allowance to run their household. Their only prayer is there shouldn't be disruption in this relief allowance. The culture of hiding helplessness for the family honour is not allowing reporting impoverished conditions and thus data on it

So, what would be their choice? Flag bearers, scapegoats, cannon fodder or guinea pigs for the sake of community's identity and its political struggle Kashmir has seen famines and starvations of horrifying magnitudes and tales in past So. If they are surviving, it is a happy condition KP community must resign to its fate?

Between such bottom line and peak as said above, KP community is actually as diverse as any other ordinary society would be on this planet. What keeps communities together are their roots, traditions, and aspirations among the various commonalities. And KPs, generally speaking, have started to disown these things one by one in recent years. The aspirations for a herd have manifested in the form of small pockets here and there And the story more or less ends there.

At the same time, it would be entirely an injustice if the good work is not acknowledged and pessimism is not passed on as the common order. Very true the disarrayed community has put concerted efforts through a good number of passionate individuals and groups to rejuvenate the community pride all along these 30 years. It has helped in keeping the debate going. Sometimes given us hope and many times a reason to feel, being a KP is wearing a pride badge on your sleeve.

Now a question that everybody asks is, why hasn't the cause of KP community been fulfilled so far? The neglect is seen as a punishment for not being effective voters both in terms of numbers and not voting as a herd. In that political mindset, the community is irrelevant, perhaps. The human cause of the KP community has also aged and, therefore, no rights groups or aid groups look at it, the way it used to be in the initial years.

So, it is now left to the community's own institutions, own people, own acumen and efforts to put the cause back on track. Institutions right from family to neighbourhoods temples, ashrams, community organisations, volunteer groups, lobbies, associations, etc have a central role in knitting people together and weaving a narrative that is palatable to most members of the community and, at the same time, positions the community to its strength and negotiating power.

But the present state of affairs of most of these institutions is like 'a king of own house or a frog of a well. That may sound blunt criticism but unless people accept faults, situations and shortcomings, there can't be a revolution that KPS need desperately to find their lost cause back. 

For some learned people of the community heritage looks good and safe in books. The fact is this heritage is present all over Kashmir KP religiously quench thirst of their dead and ancestors every morning In their prayers, they seek blessings of their ancestors much like they do from the Lord So, by that logic, this generation of KPs owes to its ancestors protection and preservation of all mandate they received from the past How do you do that? As children of the soil, KPS shouldn't abandon the dream of Kashmir Rising above the individual mindset is required to be reinforced.

Separatists in Kashmir have successfully planted and articulated a narrative to their people that ceding land to KPS collective is akin to a new Israel being born in Kashmir The truth though is KPs don't share an iota of value system with Israelis Their ploy and protest has won so far And, it is incumbent upon the stalwarts of the KP community to neutralise that narrative with a counter strategy These big decisions need a solid backing and mass support

What would be the final choices is another matter, but at the moment, what is important is to keep a tight hold on the KP cause. The river can have several streams and tributaries but at the end, these are part of the river. This river is a civilization, very ancient and may be at places outdated, bruised in deep depression and pain, yearning for a new lease of life. But it is community's own.

The community needs to keep its institutions afloat and seek engaging opportunities in social sciences, charity and support services Fight the evils of alcoholism, drugs and other bad habits within the community. Sooner or later, history will present an opportunity for the community to be proud of its togetherness.

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Courtesy:-  Avtar Nehru  and Koshur Samachar 2018, August