Vinay Thusoo
It is a phenomenon that happens often to minority communities all over the world within majority areas. It is known as the “Minority Syndrome”. The defining features of a minority identity vary significantly from country to country, and from context to context. A list of the features that typically constitute the bedrock of minority identity, however, includes religion, language, race, culture and regional/geographic location.The historical reality of inter-communal relations usually shows many ups and downs, periods of relative tolerance alternating with periods of struggle and torment. The aim of this article is to explore how, in Kashmiri Pandits,a miniscule community, this syndrome have affected their lives over the period of time. There are a number of factors affecting the syndrome. First, is the desire of minorities to be accepted by the majority and to be seen as “more patriotic” than the majority to overcome the view that they are not.Second, in particular for those born and raised in the system, there is a version of self-denial that belittles oneself, and adopts the view of the majority uncritically even though the view may be hostile to the minority. In the end, the other side does not respect those who do not stand up for themselves, even though they may disagree. Having experienced discrimination and hostility for centuries they developed a “battered minority” syndrome, an inferiority complex of heightenedsensitivity and bottled-up bitterness. Outward submission to an order enforced by the majority and lack of participation in the political decision making process are keenly felt as humiliating.
The term ‘syndrome’ points, at the very least, to the breakdown of basic trust and common understanding between the majority and the minority. But in fact it encompasses something even more dreadful: a diseased network of neurotic relations, so completely poisoned and accompanied by such a high assortment of negative emotions (envy, malice, jealousy, spite and hatred) that communities are bound to slide deeper down the path of still deeper hostility and frenzied mutual destruction. Besides animosity circulates freely, adding layer upon layer of mutual grievance between communities. Over time, chronic paranoia develops, inter-group relations are perverted and the majority and the minority begin to play hostile games, often fighting over nothing at all. Groups demand from one another what they cannot really get, conjure up imaginary grievances, insist precisely on what hurts the other most – at one time obsessively desiring the very thing that the other wants, at another time the exact opposite, always with the sole purpose of negating the claims of the other.Pre-occupation with survival tended to cripple creativity as all energies are directed against the constant pressures – economic, social, political – to assimilate into the majority. Due to distinctive minority characteristics developed over these long centuries of minority experience KP’s tended to be secretive, subtle, competitive and exclusive. Convinced of their superiority they were distrustful of the majority. Often they acquired specific skills and monopoly in education, medicine and some areas of administration which gradually has been levelled since long as majority members have entered these spheres in ever larger numbers. Only by introversion, withdrawing inwardly into their own community with its spiritual and emotional resources they hoped to survive as a distinct group. By and large, all minorities all over the world commit themselves to preserving their identity against the centralising and assimilative forces of the majority. In the eyes of many majority members the minorities represent the religious or ethnic “other”, the mirror image which is feared as the bearer of all negative characteristics: traitor, exploiter, collaborator, betrayer, – a convenient scapegoat for all of life’s evils. They cannot understand minority exclusiveness and determination not to assimilate. The wealth and high position of a few minorities arouses jealousy, resentment against them for exercising power above their accepted position, and suspicion against the whole community. Not satisfied with its dominant position, it sees the mirror-image group as a potential threat to its own existence and a convenient scapegoat and target for conspiracy theories that totally ignore reality. Prejudice develops against the minority, accepting unquestioningly all baseless accusations of worsening, provocation, conspiracy, collaboration and intrigue, and these perceptions and fears become real to the masses and are easily exploited by dishonest politicians and religious manipulators. Rumours and accusations against the minority are accepted at face value as they fit in with inherited prejudices and stereotypes. These two tasks are being posed today in many diverse ways according to the particular historical, political, social, cultural and judicial environment of the countries and regions concerned. There are a number of factors affecting the syndrome. The minorities, in particular the KP minority, do themselves and their cause a great disfavour by being more like majority than the majority themselves and finding themselves chanting on the wrong side of the argument.I myself have the first-hand experience of facing the effect of minority syndrome by my own Community member, who tried to be more majority than majority itself and in the process caused more hurt and pain to me than the majority. How do we break this cycle? Political imagination is scarce in these difficult times but it needs no great political acumen to grasp that, for a start, those currently worsening the syndrome must immediately be stopped in their tracks, isolated and shunned.The majority-minority syndrome, whether we agree or disagree have divided the State, mindlessly detracts from welfare and development and by constraining reforms, restricts freedom, bores communities and encourages a morally obnoxious conservatism. It has the potential of turning the State into an economic wasteland unless this is done, India, its minority communities and its people, are unlikely to survive, let alone prosper.In looking at the current demographic picture of KP communities most KPS have improved their economic situations as compared to their conditions in early 1990’s. However, there has been a drift toward assimilation and away from traditional Culture. Intermarriage between KPS and non-KPS is on the increase, and less importance is given by the present generation to providing a cultural education for children and youth. Often it is said that the passage of time helps ease the pain and can diminish the extent of the grief over loss of relatives and community. But it can also be said that time creates perspective and thus stresses the historic significance of these events. Almost twenty five years have passed and what has been learned? Why the majority populationsin Kashmir gave silent consent to KP exodus. Indeed the entire free world which may have been far from the scene of those events but were not lacking information, resources, and power, cannotbe exempted fromthis responsibility. For the Pandits the exodus constitutes a lesson in history which is a permanent part of their lives.The lesson of history is to stick together against a hostile environment and compete for survival using all methods available: specialization, flexibility, dissimulation, education. All these become part of the complex consciousness of the minority group.KP’ need to project a united face of the community before the Government before seeking any concession and relief.
( The author is serving as Public Relations Officer with Jammu University, the views expressed in this article are his own “.
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