A Look Through the Mist
The controversy that arose after Ghulam Nabi Azad Government in J&K took away the rights for the use of about 800 kanals of land at Baltal during Shri Amarnathjee Yatra period by SASB and transferred the rights and duty for making arrangements to J&K tourism Department has taken away the peace from the homes and minds of the people of J&K. Today Jammu Province is boiling with anger and distrust against those in power seat.. The people of Jammu Province are feeling that the . Hindu faith and belief are brutally stabbed. Ofcourse some people are opining that some political leaders are playing vote politics with the sentiments of local Hindu ; and some are openly accusing the Sri Amarnath Yatra Sangarsh Samity of being a tout of BJP / RSS. The agitation does have active support of BJP / RSS but it is wrong to accuse SAYSS for being a partly tool of BJP Rather who are accusing the SAYSS are themselves sponsored by those who look gains only in vote bank politics. Some have even opined that the SAYSS is a vehicle without a driver and would recklessly over turn very soon. But such commentators themselves are envy to the organisers for the success the movement has received .
One thing is sure that the agitation going on in Jammu Province is not merely a regional agitation. This is an agitation based on the religious faith ( aastha ) .I can say that it´s a lust for keeping the honour of the Hindu secure.
It is true that the Kashmiri Muslims of the area around Shri Amarnath Jee Shrine had been all along extending support with curtsy to the pilgrim Hindus. The have been looking after the Yatris. Its is also true that the pithoo ( they are porters who carry the kids and the luggage on their back ) , palkiwalsa and the horsemen have all along been with the yatra and they have never posed any hurdle to the smooth performance of Yatra. But this is also a fact that over last 150/ 200 years it is only the muslims who were in and around this area in majority. People who so easily tell that the Amarnathjee cave was discovered by a local shepherd / bakerwal ( Malik Muslim ) surely express their sincere gratitude to the bakerwals .But it is also a hard fact that the tradition of Shri Amarnathjee yatra is not simply only 150 years old and instead this place has been a Pilgrim Shrine being a holy abode of Bhagwal Shiv ( Bholae Shankar ) for centuries of times unknown. May be in view of some environment over turn or some disaster long back the pilgrimage to this shrine site was once upon a time discontinued and later on may be 150/ 200 years ago some devotees again made an attempt to go on this pilgrimage but could not themselves exactly find the path ; and it was that then some local shepherds ( elder Maliks ) of the area helped them to tfind the route to the shrine cave. Otherwise the story that some elder of Malik family had on his own discovered the Shiva cave and then the Malik ( a muslim ) told the particulars to Hindus about this being the abode of Bhagwan Shiv does not that much stand to a true logic. There fore people of all religions must respect the belief of Hindu and the tradition of the rights of Maliks in the offerings made by the pilgrims at the Shrine.
The muslims of Jammu Province have all along considered the 1947 Accession of J&K with India as total and true. But some muslims of Kashmir Valley have been negating the trueness of the 1947 Accession , mainly at the behest of Pakistan , and have been trying to attract the common muslim majority of Kashmir Valley towards the history of two nation theory.
Displacement of Kashmiri Hindu from Valley in 1989/1990 and their still being away even after 20 years is the proof of what I have said.. Separatist elements / anti India leaders in Kashmir Valley had linked the growing Amarnath yatra with the return of the Hindu to Kashmir Valley ( even with settling of non state subject Hindu in Kashmir ) and the Hindu laying some rights on the land of Kashmir valley .To Congress leadership it appeared that the separatists have been able to exploit the religious sentiments in Kashmir Valley. It was under this compulsion that the Ghulam Nabi Azad government did not hesitate to even violate the faith/ belief of the Hindu and acted to the choice and dictates of the Muslim separatists ( those who do not accept accession of J&K with India ) in the Valley with out even caring to discuss with political / social leadership from outside Kashmir Valley.
In view of the fact that for years together Government of India and other prime Indian leadership has all along been tolerating the anti accession , anti India and anti total integration of J&K with India elements. Such elements have been encouraged to survive, rather to flourish. To some extent it was no doubt for political reasons also since it was hard for any political party to compete with the cadres of National Conference. The way UPA Government / UPA leadership / Congress party have accommodated / tolerated the JK PDP leaders like Mufti Sayeed, Mehnooba Mufti , Hamid Karra and there comments / proposals on withdrawal of army / security forces from Kashmir Valley, use of Pakistan currency in Kashmir ( not whole of India ) , dual control of India / Pakistan on some affairs of J&K supports my inference as drawn in fore going para. Such approach appeared to be causing frustration even in National Conference / Farooq Abdullah ( promotion of separatist elements / pro separatist elements. Under such circumstances even some of the muslim priests of Kashmir Valley too appear to be helpless before the separatists. But surely the Muslims of Jammu Province can surely come at the back of the god fearing muslim priests and scholars of Kashmir valley and help them in exposing the ill intentions of the separatists before the common Kashmir Muslims . They could visit Kashmiri muslims and tell them that SASB is an institution under Hindu faith and hence keeping the honour of Hindu faith government be approached to revert the 1st July 2008 order regarding 800 Kanals of land. This way they can save the social environment of J&K that is more valuable that the material environment..
I have tried to observe the Jammu agitation from an independent angle. I firmly believe that this movement is not under the pure control of any political party or conventional leader. But one thing is sure that the support of some political leaders has surely provided strength to the movement..
The way this movement has gathered strength one could say that it has touched the inner hearts of the Hindu and the local Muslims of Jammu Province do appreciate that Hindu sentiments attached with Amarnath Jee have to be honoured by restoring the land to SASB.
Jammu Province has till now not got a good leadership. That is why the way the movement in support of land for SASB has percolated deep into villages has surprised even those who started this movement against the letter of Governor dated 28 / 29 June and the order of Ghulam Nabi Azad Government as of 1at July 2008.
People who think that Amar nath Yatra Sangarsh movement will die down on it´s own under the stress of hunger and material losses are surely mistaken. It is possible that with the efforts of some cunning/ clever politicians / elements and out of the simplicity of the innocent Hindu masses this movement may lose sight / fall weak for some time. But the fire that the Kashmiri separatists have set in the hearts of the common man of Jammu in the name of religion and that has been oxygenated by Congress and PDP by withdrawing the 800 Kanals of land from SASB has enough to cook the nationalist feelings to some ultimate taste, may late. That is why I would say that all those people who consider their good in the food of a Truthful Bharat must prevail upon those sitting at new Delhi to shed the vote bank politics and make attempts to cool down this heart burning in the Hindu of J&K , rather of India . It is the question of Hindu belief , what to talk of the Hindu of India, the Hindu of the whole world could jump in the movement.
( *Daya Sagar is a social activists and senior coloumnist on J&K Affairs )
The controversy that arose after Ghulam Nabi Azad Government in J&K took away the rights for the use of about 800 kanals of land at Baltal during Shri Amarnathjee Yatra period by SASB and transferred the rights and duty for making arrangements to J&K tourism Department has taken away the peace from the homes and minds of the people of J&K. Today Jammu Province is boiling with anger and distrust against those in power seat.. The people of Jammu Province are feeling that the . Hindu faith and belief are brutally stabbed. Ofcourse some people are opining that some political leaders are playing vote politics with the sentiments of local Hindu ; and some are openly accusing the Sri Amarnath Yatra Sangarsh Samity of being a tout of BJP / RSS. The agitation does have active support of BJP / RSS but it is wrong to accuse SAYSS for being a partly tool of BJP Rather who are accusing the SAYSS are themselves sponsored by those who look gains only in vote bank politics. Some have even opined that the SAYSS is a vehicle without a driver and would recklessly over turn very soon. But such commentators themselves are envy to the organisers for the success the movement has received .
One thing is sure that the agitation going on in Jammu Province is not merely a regional agitation. This is an agitation based on the religious faith ( aastha ) .I can say that it´s a lust for keeping the honour of the Hindu secure.
It is true that the Kashmiri Muslims of the area around Shri Amarnath Jee Shrine had been all along extending support with curtsy to the pilgrim Hindus. The have been looking after the Yatris. Its is also true that the pithoo ( they are porters who carry the kids and the luggage on their back ) , palkiwalsa and the horsemen have all along been with the yatra and they have never posed any hurdle to the smooth performance of Yatra. But this is also a fact that over last 150/ 200 years it is only the muslims who were in and around this area in majority. People who so easily tell that the Amarnathjee cave was discovered by a local shepherd / bakerwal ( Malik Muslim ) surely express their sincere gratitude to the bakerwals .But it is also a hard fact that the tradition of Shri Amarnathjee yatra is not simply only 150 years old and instead this place has been a Pilgrim Shrine being a holy abode of Bhagwal Shiv ( Bholae Shankar ) for centuries of times unknown. May be in view of some environment over turn or some disaster long back the pilgrimage to this shrine site was once upon a time discontinued and later on may be 150/ 200 years ago some devotees again made an attempt to go on this pilgrimage but could not themselves exactly find the path ; and it was that then some local shepherds ( elder Maliks ) of the area helped them to tfind the route to the shrine cave. Otherwise the story that some elder of Malik family had on his own discovered the Shiva cave and then the Malik ( a muslim ) told the particulars to Hindus about this being the abode of Bhagwan Shiv does not that much stand to a true logic. There fore people of all religions must respect the belief of Hindu and the tradition of the rights of Maliks in the offerings made by the pilgrims at the Shrine.
The muslims of Jammu Province have all along considered the 1947 Accession of J&K with India as total and true. But some muslims of Kashmir Valley have been negating the trueness of the 1947 Accession , mainly at the behest of Pakistan , and have been trying to attract the common muslim majority of Kashmir Valley towards the history of two nation theory.
Displacement of Kashmiri Hindu from Valley in 1989/1990 and their still being away even after 20 years is the proof of what I have said.. Separatist elements / anti India leaders in Kashmir Valley had linked the growing Amarnath yatra with the return of the Hindu to Kashmir Valley ( even with settling of non state subject Hindu in Kashmir ) and the Hindu laying some rights on the land of Kashmir valley .To Congress leadership it appeared that the separatists have been able to exploit the religious sentiments in Kashmir Valley. It was under this compulsion that the Ghulam Nabi Azad government did not hesitate to even violate the faith/ belief of the Hindu and acted to the choice and dictates of the Muslim separatists ( those who do not accept accession of J&K with India ) in the Valley with out even caring to discuss with political / social leadership from outside Kashmir Valley.
In view of the fact that for years together Government of India and other prime Indian leadership has all along been tolerating the anti accession , anti India and anti total integration of J&K with India elements. Such elements have been encouraged to survive, rather to flourish. To some extent it was no doubt for political reasons also since it was hard for any political party to compete with the cadres of National Conference. The way UPA Government / UPA leadership / Congress party have accommodated / tolerated the JK PDP leaders like Mufti Sayeed, Mehnooba Mufti , Hamid Karra and there comments / proposals on withdrawal of army / security forces from Kashmir Valley, use of Pakistan currency in Kashmir ( not whole of India ) , dual control of India / Pakistan on some affairs of J&K supports my inference as drawn in fore going para. Such approach appeared to be causing frustration even in National Conference / Farooq Abdullah ( promotion of separatist elements / pro separatist elements. Under such circumstances even some of the muslim priests of Kashmir Valley too appear to be helpless before the separatists. But surely the Muslims of Jammu Province can surely come at the back of the god fearing muslim priests and scholars of Kashmir valley and help them in exposing the ill intentions of the separatists before the common Kashmir Muslims . They could visit Kashmiri muslims and tell them that SASB is an institution under Hindu faith and hence keeping the honour of Hindu faith government be approached to revert the 1st July 2008 order regarding 800 Kanals of land. This way they can save the social environment of J&K that is more valuable that the material environment..
I have tried to observe the Jammu agitation from an independent angle. I firmly believe that this movement is not under the pure control of any political party or conventional leader. But one thing is sure that the support of some political leaders has surely provided strength to the movement..
The way this movement has gathered strength one could say that it has touched the inner hearts of the Hindu and the local Muslims of Jammu Province do appreciate that Hindu sentiments attached with Amarnath Jee have to be honoured by restoring the land to SASB.
Jammu Province has till now not got a good leadership. That is why the way the movement in support of land for SASB has percolated deep into villages has surprised even those who started this movement against the letter of Governor dated 28 / 29 June and the order of Ghulam Nabi Azad Government as of 1at July 2008.
People who think that Amar nath Yatra Sangarsh movement will die down on it´s own under the stress of hunger and material losses are surely mistaken. It is possible that with the efforts of some cunning/ clever politicians / elements and out of the simplicity of the innocent Hindu masses this movement may lose sight / fall weak for some time. But the fire that the Kashmiri separatists have set in the hearts of the common man of Jammu in the name of religion and that has been oxygenated by Congress and PDP by withdrawing the 800 Kanals of land from SASB has enough to cook the nationalist feelings to some ultimate taste, may late. That is why I would say that all those people who consider their good in the food of a Truthful Bharat must prevail upon those sitting at new Delhi to shed the vote bank politics and make attempts to cool down this heart burning in the Hindu of J&K , rather of India . It is the question of Hindu belief , what to talk of the Hindu of India, the Hindu of the whole world could jump in the movement.
( *Daya Sagar is a social activists and senior coloumnist on J&K Affairs )
