Manu Khajuria
A riot broke out at the turning between the Market road and the lane leading to the chemist’s shop at the exact same spot where Rama the street food vendor sold off everything before 8pm. To be self reliant, provide for his family, be a good neighbor and friend, he wanted no more from life. But then Gods grow jealous of too much of contentment anywhere, and they show their displeasure all of a sudden. A riot broke out near Rama’s establishment and all hell broke loose. The Police came to control the riot, and when the situation went gravely out of hand they resorted to firing shots, killing people in the process. After being hit hard by a 10 days bandh following the incident, the daily wage earner that Rama was, he went back to his place of business only to be told that an important leader had been shot in the riot and a monument would come up to mark the leader’s supreme sacrifice at the same spot Rama had his little stall. Rama lost his business and went from being self employed to barely managing to make a living. He had to pay a very high price losing his fortune, livelihood, and the most precious of all, his dignity. Nothing was ever the same again.
This is a synopsis of a famous short story by R K Narayan called Martyr’s Corner. One wonders what happened afterwards; how Rama felt when every year the fallen were celebrated and inadvertently so was the day his own life spiraled downwards never to return to happier times. One respects the memory of the departed but in no culture it comes at the cost of the living. The spot which was famous for Rama’s vadas became a place for politics. In all likelihood keeping the issue alive to milk it for political gain must have become more important than rebuilding the livelihoods that got destroyed. Restoring normalcy in the relationships that soured that day was not a priority for those who could actually do something about it. No genuine efforts were taken to prevent the cycle of inter generational poverty and resentment that reared its ugly head that fateful day. Every year the same tired speeches with operative words like autocracy, tyranny and suppression were thrown at the gullible public, even as political dynasties brought forth with them worse suppression and tyranny albeit in a new disguise.
The story a piece of fiction mirrors the real.’Gods grow jealous of too much of contentment anywhere, and they show their displeasure all of a sudden’ a line borrowed from the story is apt for Jammu – Kashmir. In fact in our State, man took God’s displeasure and turned it into a full blown rage, a fury that still has us cowering. Efforts taken if any, to put a lid on it have been few and far in between. In JK Rama, Rahim and Rinchen are still standing at that corner which has room for the dead but not for the living, their world worse than ever before.
This week Prime Minister of UK David Cameron unveiled the strategy to tackle Islamist extremism. Amongst other things the strategy proposes to give incentives to schools to become more integrated, demand that internet service providers do more to remove extremist material and identify those responsible for it, urge Universities to do more to challenge the views of extremist speakers, look at ways to boost opportunity and integration for minority groups, to look at social housing to prevent segregation. A study looking into how extremism spreads was also proposed. Maybe not so much of extremism but a deficit of trust amongst the different Regions in JK is equally alarming and detrimental for future peace. Integration as opposed to segregation and finding platforms to bring people across Regions, faiths and ethnicities should be a strategy to be worked upon and implemented aggressively. We need a study conducted by apolitical members of the civil society. Dogras, Ladakhis, KPs and KMs coming together to understand why divisive regionalism grows and to explore how distrust and suspicion can be replaced amongst the communities through focused trust building exercises. Flying in experts from New Delhi who are alien to the local historical nuances, has either been cosmetic or failed us completely.
History is an area that needs a lot of work. On one hand we have the Dogras who feel a deep sense of betrayal over a lost History and on the other hand are many KMs from the Valley who harbour resentment against the Dogras based on past events, which are described such, as to be in conflict with the Dogra narrative. Poor research and documentation has made it a free for all. What was undeniably good like educational and agrarian reforms specially targeting the Muslim community, abolishing forced labour, measures adopted to revamp the shawl industry, rail road networks, health centres both in the Valley and Jammu etc are some of the facts that need to be promoted in an attempt to reconcile.
History is written by the victor but there must be a space to challenge the conflicting versions which divide us further. For example even a casual online research on Moti Mahal, Poonch brings up conflicting versions on its origin. Most say a Dogra Ruler, Raja Sukhdev Singh started building it and Raja Jagat Dev Singh completed it. In fact pleased by the Craftsman Raja Jagat Dev Singh sent his son Ibrahim Khan to England to study Law. Then there is also a version by Zafar Choudhury written in 2006 on Counter Currents a web journal, saying that the Palace was built by Ibrahim Khan’s Father and was handed over to Raja Jagat Dev Singh who was lusting after the beautiful Palace, in return of sponsoring Ibrahim Khan’s study in England. One is clueless about how History has been interpreted so differently and for what purpose. Ignorance of history allows room for mischief. History repeating itself as a tragedy first and then as a farce is what we must prevent. Daisaku Ikeda the Buddhist Philosopher said that to communicate the truths of history is an act of hope for the future. If we are really committed to a hopeful future history is something we must stop playing politics over.
Media also has an important role to play and must behave responsibly. The reporting of the same news from the Valley and from Jammu carry a different tone and imply different things. Curfew in Rajouri is reported by a leading Jammu daily with a headline ‘Curfew imposed in Rajouri Town” mentioning that VHP activists burnt the IS flag and the State VHP Patron also said that that they had burnt the IS flag not knowing what was written in Persian. Compare it to a popular Kashmiri Newspaper giving the same news item the headline of ‘Curfew imposed in Rajouri after VHP activists allegedly burn religious flags’. It does not mention IS anywhere, repeatedly saying ‘religious flags bearing Quranic verses’. After some hours the same newspaper carries a welcome piece on religious harmony that of a Muslim family in Pulwama District looking after a centuries old Shiva Temple. It is almost as if the Newspaper was trying to atone for its sins of curious omissions earlier. In a state which is in dire need of peace and harmony, purposeful stoking of communal or regional fires through suggestions and veiled innuendos should not be accepted kindly.
The State Flag which has been kept flying after quelling of opposition against its use, has red for labour, the plough for agriculture and the three lines on the side representing the three geographical regions of the State, Jammu, Kashmir valley and Ladakh. But the symbolism stands unconvincing today. Proving right that development is not possible in a fight or flight mode both labour and agriculture have not been tapped to their best potential. The three lines depicting the three regions stand aloof and stiff just like its people, since the day this flag first flew. There has been little joyous integration of cultures and shared heritage, hardly any over lapping of concerns and issues, or a meeting point where all Regions stand as one. The Political will to enable it has also been sorely missing.
Speaking on 17th July in General Zorawar Singh auditorium, a General who consolidated the glorious Kingdom of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh, CM Mufti said that though connecting JK with India is his dream, we are yet to accomplish the meeting of the twain; a coming together of Jammu and Kashmir. He went onto say that his dream was to resolve the contradictions with everybody’s help.
This could become a possibility when the Civil Society also makes this dream their own and along with the political body realizes that the bad spreads fast and if it is to be combated the good must be fiercely promoted.
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