Manu Khajuria
Jammu has been under duress, these past few weeks. Desecration of two temples by two separate individuals, followed by a third incident in Poonch, shook the city, leading to days of suspension of internet and broadband services. Such attacks on places of worship, irrespective of the reasons and the perpetrator’s religious affiliations are dangerous with far reaching consequences. Religious sentiments being hurt leading to violent reactions is just the immediate consequence. An attack on a Temple in Jammu goes beyond an attack on a community’s right to religious freedom. It is an attack on the region’s culture, history, and identity. The region is rooted in the ethos of co existence and harmony amongst people of diverse religious backgrounds and ethnicities. This attempt to hack at it very roots, is unacceptable.
City of Temples Jammu, is a title the city wears well, what with its many temples, big and small, each holding a special significance for those who come to seek solace, pray or just converse with God. The city is rooted in faith and spirituality, people neither shy of their own beliefs nor intolerant towards the beliefs of others. The common visual that meets the eye at the any of the bridges over River Tawi, facing the Bahu Fort, which is home to Baawe Wali Mata, the deemed protector of the city, is people bowing down in the direction of the fort as a respect to the Goddess. The strong roots in faith and spirituality have shaped the character of the Jammu region, honing the qualities of benevolence, tolerance and karma in its dwellers. These qualities of altruism and ‘sewa’ are imbibed and practiced by the people who love and visit their temples. Benevolence and courage are two sides of the same coin.Unparalleled martial skills also defines Jammu region, which through annals of history remained proudly independent, and yet was a place others could depend on, for their security, growth and prosperity. Over centuries people have come to Jammu seeking refuge. The many temples that dot the region have taught its people to see divinity in all, making them open their hearts and minds to all the refuge seekers who have ever knocked at its doors.
Divine thoughts nurtured in the temples is the reason why the region has seen communal harmony and an enviable bonhomie between Hindus and Muslims over centuries. It was during the time of King Ranjit Dev, when Muslims were first invited to come and settle in Jammu. In the 1870s Jammu was a haven for Muslims from neighboring states, who migrated to Jammu for a better life. For the Hindus and Muslims of Jammu, regional identity was above their religious identity. The Muslims and Hindus of Jammu celebrated each other’s festivals. During Basant, the spring festival, men donned yellow pagris, and the women would wear yellow clothes irrespective of their faiths. Dussera, Holi and Eid were celebrated with great pomp and show. A shared popular culture meant that the wrestling contests or Chhinj held all over Jammu Province had loyal fans in both communities. People went to support and cheer for their favourite wrestler and they picked their favourites not on the basis of religion. Chhinjs are still a big part of the Jammu culture.
The Muslims and Hindus of Jammu also shared a common vocabulary and political ideologies besides similar tastes in food and entertainment.Though things took an ugly turn, as they did for the entire sub-continent in the 1940s, those who did leave for POJK in 1947, continue to remember Jammu and Jammuites fondly. Many Muslims in POJK speak fondly of the Dogra rule, and yearn for a reunification with the Jammu mainland. Though the partition dug its ugly fangs into the region and changed some things, the Jammu region still sees its Hindus visit Peer Baba at Satwari, and its Muslims visit the shrine of a Hindu Peer Baba Dileep Singh Manhas at Chamliyal. Shabeels or stalls manned by members of the Sikh and Hindu communities, offering cold and sweetened water to devotees on either side of the roads leading to the the Mela in Chamliyal from my village Burmal, are a common sight. One can see such Shabeels in many Melas that take place in Jammu Region’s celebrating saints of both Muslim and Hindu backgrounds. Mandirs and Dargahs stand adjacent to each other in Jammu Region.
It is the same ethos of acceptance and integration that has the city of temples Jammu, holding another title, that of, refugee capital of the country. The city has not only supported, but welcomed many refugees since 1947. It is home to many refugees, who have been victims of religious persecution as a result of growing radicalization in the State. In Dogri, the sweet tongue spoken by the Dogras, Jammu is that region- ‘Jinn Saarein Apni bukall ch hifaajat Kannay rakhya’.. the region that has enveloped the refuge seekers in warmth and safety, keeping out the cold fear that had them in a vice like grip. Worrisome today is not just the attacks on temples but the shared experiences of the refugees from Kashmir, West Pak and POJK burning the very blanket that protects them. As all JKians know that a single spark from a kangri is enough to burn the house down. Feelings of deep distrust, paranoia and vengeance that some amongst the refugee communities might harbour, has the potential to seep into the wider society and change its essential character and reshape its core identity.
This is even more evident during testing times, the kind Jammu has been put through in the last couple of weeks. Following the condemnable incidents, the rumor mills started working overtime. A free for all social media, and the reactions of some members of the refugee communities added fuel to the fire. Social media saw many Kashmiri Pandits giving dire warnings to the Dogras and communities local to the Jammu Region. They spoke of Jammu region working itself to a situation which has seen the mass exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits for the valley. Some of the tweets were blatant lies, with clear attempts to polarize further and worsen a sensitive situation. When Poonch hundreds of kilometers away from Jammu city was tense, there were tweets resorting to fear mongering by falsely alleging the same tension in Jammu city. Some posts openly challenged the courage and intellect of the Dogras, provoking them to seek revenge.
Attacks on places of worship cannot be tolerated but it’s increasingly becoming important to be aware of of this purposeful sensationalization and paranoia. This is potentially more dangerous in an already sensitive environment, where past throws long shadows on the present and the burden of incidents that took place in the valley, lie heavy on the shoulders of all its citizens. Without being inconsiderate to the Kashmiri Pandits or any refugee exodus and their current state of exile, Jammu region must be mindful and not takes cues on reactions to such events from people who maybe carrying their baggage of hatred and revenge, everywhere they go, because of past experiences. The desire to exercise restraint, diffuse and contain the situation, so that all may continue to live in the land of their forefathers, is not a sign of weakness but that of wisdom, foresight and courage. It is to Jammu’s credit that barring the incidents of damage to public property, it spoke in a voice which asked for justice and not retribution despite undue provocation from many quarters.
In the process of venting against such incidents and inefficient handling of the situation, the latest casualty is the Jammu Kashmir, who, people have been to quick to demonize. The Jammu Kashmir Police, who by battling militancy in the state, go beyond their scope of work of maintaining law and order, and such blanket statements are demoralizing for an institution, which works in the toughest conditions. Appropriate and timely responses from Hindu and Muslim community leaders and from political leaders both regional and across the State, could have helped a lot in acknowledging people’s hurt, allaying their fears and nipping rumours, which were flying fast furious after the incidents occurred. The deafening silence on part of Jammu leadership, just went onto strengthen CM Mehbooba’s statement that Jammu has not produced leaders. Jammu has politicians, but it has failed to give us any tall leaders. Leaders and leadership was missing in this instance too, increasing the angst of Jammuites. This also meant that the burden of diffusing a potentially dangerous situation rested solely on the administration.
It is increasingly becoming clear that Jammu region must be aware of its unique history and identity so that they stay true to its tolerant and brave character. The Dogras who founded the State of Jammu Kashmir, did so with a winning combination of statesmanship and martial skills. They were visionaries and not reactionaries. Legend has it that Jammu Region is also where a lion and a goat drank water from the same bank of River Tawi, epitomising the peaceful and harmonious nature of the land. The many factors that make the land beautiful, is for Jammu Region to own and uphold. There is no room for incidents that spread hatred and for colored opinions that polarize and alter the quintessential spirit of the land.
“What was it about that city that stills draw us back? Maybe it was that great fellow feeling. It did not matter what caste, family, or tribe or clan one belonged to; we treated one another as if we were members of the same family. We were together when it was time to mourn or celebrate. The people of Jammu were genuinely nice and did not say what they did not mean.”
-Rehmat Ullah Rad, Memory Lane to Jammu.
feedbackexcelsior@gmail.com
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel