What happened in Kashmir the other day has never happened
ever before in the long annals of the history of Kashmir . The incident
was marked by the laying of the foundation stone of the Sharda Temple near the
actual Line of Control between India and Pakistan inKarnah tehsil , at the last village Tithwal at a distance
of 73 kilometres from the district headquarters Kupwara Kashmir.
The
uniqueness of this rare happening was that a Muslim woman, Dr. Darakshan
Andrabi Chairperson Waqf Development Committee of Union Ministry of Minorities
affairs and BJP National Executive Member laid the foundation stone of
the Sharda Temple under the auspices of the Save Sharda Committe headed by Shri
Ravinder Pandita. The high point of this rare happening was a Muslim
woman offering Hawan oblations to the sacred fire amidst chanting of Slokas in
Sanskrit according to the Vedic rites prescribed in the holiest Hindu
scriptures.
media channels to cover this historical event has, however, not produced the
euphoria across the wider section of the Kashmiri Pandit society.
It is difficult to gauge the event. In the
least,however, it offers two views. One, that signals new amity
between the Hindus and Muslims of Kashmir that remained wrecked in recent
decades following the onset of militancy and rise of radical Islamic fanaticism
in the Valley, and the second, an event that indicates
to signal the dilution of the tenets of both the Islam and Kashmiri
Brahmanism in the Valley. Now that such a thing has happened,
it raises the question whether what has been done meets the religious
approval of the tenets of Islam and the Brahminical practices of
the Kashmiri Pandits.
The development on one hand appears to augur
well for the restoration and return of peace in the blood
soaked Valley as the two communities , through this significant secular
and modern religious act, seem to have buried their acrimony that has plagued
relationship between them in the recent decades. However, on the other
hand the conservative adherents of the respective beliefs may have looked at
this never- before religious performance as blasphemy for both the
Muslims and the Pandits of Kashmir.
Even more important question arises, if what has been done
has the religious sanction of both the communities and a nonafide approval of
the majority of people from either of the faiths.
Notwithstanding the peculiar situation that has arisen in
the religious history of Kashmir as a result of this inter- religious
performance, many on either side would argue that what has been performed
is both unheard and unknown previously. And perhaps many more may think that
modern values of life must get rid off the redundant orthodox religious
practices to enable people from both the religious faiths to come out of
the pernicious doctrines of religious bigotry.
There however, arises a more potent question whether
such a thing happened with the religious compromise arrived between the
two religious groups with some kind of political approval and sanction
from the powers that be.
Given the irrefutable and unique religious act that the
Kashmiri Pandits have committed in the instant case, it is pertinent to glean
through some historical observations on the religiosity of the Pandits
for anyone to come to a conclusion on what all has happened from the
Kashmiri Pandit point of view.
A century ago observed, Francis Younghusband: ” In
spite of the splendid Moghals, brute Pathans, bullying Sikhs and rude
Dogras, the Kashmiri Pandits ever remained the same.” It has been argued
that ‘the same Hindu who did not dare to complain when they saw their wives,
their children and everything held most dear carried off by their fierce
conquerors, their home devastated by fire and sword; their temples
destroyed, their idols demolished; these same Hindus displayed some sparks of
energy when it became a question of changing their religious customs for those
of their oppressors.’
‘Seven centuries of Muslim rule, during which time
the conquerors tried alternatively cajolary and violence in order to establish
their own faith and their own customs amongst the conquered did not suffice to
shake the steadfast constancy of the Kashmiri Brahmans. Bribes of dignities and
honours and the fear of annoyance and loss of position had no effect on the
Kashmiri Pandits.
Indeed the majority population had to yield and had even
been forced to adopt some of the religious and civil practices of the Kashmiri
Pandits’.
Giving a similar view,the far famed Orientalist and the man
Kashmiri Pandits owe Rajatarangini to, Aurel Stein too has called the
Kashmiri Pandits ” Gens Religiosissima” meaning people who are
strictly superstitious in their religious conduct because they guard with
jealousy the pure traditions of their religion. Till date the Pandits are known
to adhere to the performance of all ceremonies in all exactness of detail in
accordance with Vedic rites under the direction and guidance of a priest.
But alas, the contrary has been done at the Titwala
ceremony. History informs us that the Kashmiri Pandit preferred to give his
neck during the tyrannical Pathan rule but did not abandon his religion.
It belies the faith of the community as one struggles to understand
that how a Muslim woman could lead his religious practice. Is it that the
Pandits are now reduced to religious Scarecrows and the community is done with
its age-old faith and religious belief.
The mitigating circumstances must compel the community for
an introspection than be allowed to be taken as hostage of some sort of
new religious conversion.
No one can take Kashmiri Pandits for a ride and
least to be used as fodder of any type of political expediency. Save
Sharda Committee owes an answer to the community for allowing this religious
trespass and Shri Ravinder Pandita in particular, who heads the initiative, must
come out with a categorical stand if he is not bartering the community’s
religious ethos for cheap publicity.
Perhaps, the Kashmiri Pandits have never stooped so low even
during the times of Sikandar Butshikan as have now they been to reduced to by
the ‘Titwal Fiasco’ that has put the religious faith of the community at
stake like never before.
(The writer is a Jammu based environmentalist and a regular contributor to this Website.)
(Feedback at: blparimoo@gmail.com)
This article by Bhushan Parimo is a personalized view of the blogger. How the KP community has reacted to his views for the gens religiosissima community to a scarecrow community.