Pran Pandit
Over the 5,000 years, since the marking of Sapt-rishi Era, Kashmir has been the heavenly home-land of Kashmiri Pandits (KPs). After the advent of Islam in Kashmir, they gradually got reduced to a minuscule religious minority. Their ancestors meticulously followed the creed “live and let live and co-exist in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility” for thousands of years. Developed and followed by their fore-fathers, KPs have not deviated from the sacred and serene approach to life and the world , which constitute, to this day, the essential feature of the “socio-cultural and religious character of Kashmiriyat”. Rooted in the synthesis of Vedantic, Sufi and Rishi movement of Humanism, KPs shared a common social, cultural, psychological and intellectual orientation with the majority community for centuries and contributed to the cultural heritage of the peaceful people of the land; and never ever did they interfere with any of the faiths in their home-land. They became the casualty of radicalism, covertly backed by terrorists: and were hounded out and robbed of their roots and everything, passion and sublimity. They are scattered world-wide and continue to live in exile for nearly three decades.
History bears the testimony that the victims of vicissitudes, world-over, while struggling for survival in human-made situations of disaster and tragedy, were driven into becoming worst in an alien atmosphere. KPs sustained for more than 27 years, away from their home, with dignity and honor; and, even in the most compelling circumstances and crucial times, they did neither indulge in crimes nor became vicious. Bearing and enduring the brunt of forces that battered them, they showed to the world that they are the noble, dexterous and intelligent progeny of the great sages, seers and civilized natives of Sharda Bhoomi (Kashmir). Undoubtedly, the chapter of “struggle for survival” by the displaced KPs during the period of their exile shall be written by the Historians in the letters of gold.
The present displacement of KPs for 27 years, away from their home and roots, is perhaps their longest sojourn. Even the enemies and critics of the community had no question in mind, whatsoever, about their ability to regain the ancestral home-land. Their generations have perished but the day of reckoning did not arrive for this people till date. With the passage of time, their hopes of ever returning to home-land have started fading gradually not for no reason. The shenanigans and somersaults of over ground political actors, machinations of underground supporters of terrorists and radical elements as also the visible symptoms of the mutilation of ‘Kashmiriyat’, the indigenous character of the peaceful land of their ancestors, has rendered KPs pessimistic about their return and resettlement in near future. Radical elements and the forces that have indifference and outright hostility towards the community and even some mainstream politicians of the state, for their political expediency, don’t miss any opportunity to scuttle the move of the government for the return and rehabilitation of the displaced community.
The consequences and effects of the displacement of KPs and their remaining in exile for a prolonged period are in sight now. There are visible symptoms and manifestation of a decline of traditional values and erosion of their centuries-old security and support base; those born in late 70’s, early 80’s or after the exodus of the community don’t know where they came from and who they are because they either remained disconnected from their roots for a long period of time or have no feel of roots at all; and some of them, not many, choose to even marry outside the confines of their own community. KP youth, who attained the undreamt progress in materialistic terms, away from their home-land, have started showing an inclination towards western values and culture. After the displacement of the community from their home-land, the youth of the community were thrown into cosmopolitan and pluralistic milieu either in their age of adolescence or when they were quite young; many of them felt an urgent need to fit into the new culture of the societies, thinking that it could provide them a common ground and means of identifying with other people with a greater sense of shared new culture; and a crossection of younger generation of KPs, aspiring to a good life, greater job opportunities to earn hefty salaries and freedom to live in their own way, did not hesitate accepting the new alien culture, values and ways of life. It is none of their faults because no body is born with a culture but gets birth in a culture; and it holds true to KP youth too. The future generations of KPs was overtaken by smugness and gloom during the period of exile.
KPs are in dilemma; and, they have started introspecting to decide: “should we go back or stay back and should we evolve into the broader perspective of world culture?” They may decide as did the 500 Arhats who had migrated from Patliputra to Kashmir during Ashoka’s time. According to Yuan Chwang, Ashoka went to Kashmir to apologize and begged the migrants to return but they steadfastly refused. As the KPs cherish passionate love for the land of their ancestors and self esteem, their refusing to return is most unlikely. But, who knows about tomorrow? All said and done, elderly KPs are committed to bolster the strength of their unique cultural identity and the way of life; and are not prepared to entertain revisions, either consciously or unconsciously.
I am a member of the KP community; I recognize that the usefulness of an opinion is itself a matter of opinion and both require discussion; the truth of the opinion is part of its utility; and many opinions of the past are now known to be erroneous. The unique cultural identity of KPs denotes way of their life and values, beliefs, attitudes, art, religion, eating habits, rituals, ceremonies and the language etc that they have been using in everyday life for centuries. In my opinion, the unique cultural identity of KPs can not remain insular and undiluted for an unlimited period of time. True that, during the period of their exile, KPs faced up the challenges for their survival and sustained with honor and dignity but sustaining and survival is a very small thing; and material progress alone can not bring back lost heritage, esteem, pride and honor of the community.
According to my observation, every KP community member believes that he thought as he spoke, and that in all that he did, he never had any bad intention or selfish motive. But, there is a continuing and unabated process of some challenging and some assailing the steps that the community took on various occasions, without a free discussion which gave birth to some uncalled for situations. The contradictory voices raised by various KP groups regarding the choice of sites and other modalities for the construction of resettlement colonies for KPs in the Valley, while one group expresses itself in favour of ‘concentrated settlement’, another group does not see any problem in their settlement at district headquarters and some stick to their formulae of nothing less than the ‘separate home-land’.
There is a rallying call for KPs to ponder on the factors to their being what they are today after remaining in exile for 27 years; to understand that if there are no different interests, the common interest would have been barely felt; and if the mode of thought, of rather perhaps of feeling, was common, they would encounter no obstacle in achieving the goal. They need to have unchangeable resolutions to remain as a distinct ethnic and cultural group and reclaiming their home-land; to shed the tendencies of getting carried away by the hollow promises of shrewd political rhetors; and not to get chastised and enslaved because they get inadequate doles. The welfare of the community lies in the preservation of its unity and in the absence of unity, the multitude of the voices becomes a burden for the whole community. The need of the hour is to set goals; and to put in place ‘mission statement’ and ‘vision document’. They shall have to get united and must appear united in actions and words in their efforts to achieving the goal; and must rally under the dynamic and selfless leadership of a leader, under one and the only one umbrella. I have a question lurking in my mind which none other than the displaced KPs can answer: “How long shall they wait and when will they bestir themselves and fight collectively to regain their lost heritage, pride and esteem”?
(The author is an ex- Superintendant of Police)
feedbackexcelsior@gmail.com
Follow our WhatsApp channel