K K Khosa
One of the noteworthy initiatives which Ghulam Nabi Azad took during his tenure of two years and few months as CM between 2005 and 2008 albeit unsuccessfully, due to the occurrence of unforeseen circumstances, was regarding the protection of temples and shrines belonging to the minority community in Kashmir valley. After the forced exodus of the Kashmiri Pandit community from the land of their forefathers, along with other Hindu and Sikh brethren in the year 1990 and even for some time thereafter, most of their immovable properties including agricultural lands and orchards faced large scale vandalization, destruction, burning down, usurpation or illegal occupation at the hands of Jihadists and terrorists throughout the nineties without any kind of hindrances from any significant quarters . Many such leftover properties even got alienated due to distress sales undertaken by their owners to prevent usurpation at the hands of land mafias and other unscrupulous elements. In some instances it was even the government of the day that allowed the usage of some properties for public purposes without the consent of the absentee owners.
The exilees continue to struggle even today for the return of such properties to their rightful and legal owners or for receiving adequate compensation either from the Government of India or from the State Government, both having failed miserably in securing these properties from the nefarious designs of the land sharks. An equally important issue that exists today calling for urgent attention of the government is that of safeguarding and protecting heritage properties, including the huge estates owned by temples and shrines of minority communities especially the Hindus, spread out over the length and breadth of Kashmir valley. The value of such assets runs into thousands of crores at modest estimates, with some of them already having fallen prey to the nefarious designs of the land sharks and vandals, having a field day in the absence of their Hindu caretakers, trust bodies and other Devasthan Committees. Of course many of these assets in some instances faced plunder and vandalism due to the callousness, negligent attitude and/or the misdemeanors of some of the members of such trusts/Committees themselves from time to time. During the first week of February 2007, in a meeting convened by the then chief minister in Jammu secretariat we were informed that the government proposed to promulgate an ordinance for safeguarding the temples and shrines belonging to the minority community in Kashmir valley from the nefarious designs of the land sharks.
The chief minister had reassured the participants which included this scribe that the government intended to pass a legislation in the forthcoming session of the state assembly that year, as demanded by many Kashmiri Pandit representatives for quite some time, to establish a statutory board for the management and well-being of these temples and shrines. Earlier a private member’s bill had been introduced in the state assembly which was sought to be replaced by an official bill introduced by the government. All this as they say is history now. One thing which is clear is that the recent statement of Ghulam Nabi Azad that Kashmiri Pandits are the only original inhabitants of Kashmir and many of them got converted about six hundred years ago and thereafter is not at all any kind of posturing for furtherance of any political interests but symbolizes the core ideology and firm opinion of one of the tallest and visionary leaders of our erstwhile state. With his fifty years standing in national politics he has acquired a stature which can be the envy of any politician. His parting of ways with the congress party where he enjoyed great respect and clout, and formation of a regional political party is reflective of his great attributes of self esteem and righteousness which are scarce amongst most of today’s politicians.
These attributes have given him the ability and courage to make a bold and candid statement about sanatan dharm and also advice political leadership of all ideologies to refrain from mixing religion with politics to rule out creation of fissures in society. When such views are expressed by high profile people, it has a positive impact over a wide spectrum of society especially those young minds who have been fed with a lopsided narrative about Kashmir during the past four decades, to further the designs of radical Islamic Jihadists who infiltrated into the state under a diabolical plan. Although his statement has ruffled feathers of many politicians, especially of those who have been actively playing the communal card to further their political goals, yet many others including this scribe welcomes the statement. A sensitive state like Jammu and Kashmir, which is multicultural, multilingual, multiracial, multidimensional, multiregional, where people professing different religions and faiths have been living together in complete harmony till about three decades back, requires a leadership which can carry this diversity along and create a homogenous environment where even the last person in the queue is taken care of. Azad’s statement must be borne in mind by every political party which aspires to rule this state since the aborigines of Kashmir continue to remain away from their ancestral habitat which Azad has referred to in his indomitable style. Also important is to know that every Kashmiri Pandit family has one of the three deities namely Ragniya Bhagwati at (Tulamula Ganderbal), Sharika Bhagwati at (Haari Parvat) and Jwala Bhagwati at (Khrew Pulwama) as their Isht Devi, who they pray and propitiate on every auspicious occasion and every religious ceremony in their homes even in exile. Although Dr Farooq Abdullah has been stating at times that his great grandfather was a Kashmiri Pandit himself, but during twelve years of national conference rule during past three decades, virtually nothing was done to recreate the syncretism which had been prevalent for centuries.
Later when the aborigines started yet another crusade for safety and security of symbols of sanatan dharm from the year 2012 onwards, making a fervent appeal for passage of temples and shrines bill, mandating the Pt. Prem Nath Bhat memorial trust to spearhead the agitation, none of these politicians who trumpeted that Kashmiri Pandits are the only original inhabitants of Kashmir, took any initiatives in this respect and therefore have not been able to establish enough faith or credibility with the community. Leadership of every political party pursuing diverse ideologies has to remember that in reality Kashmir is incomplete without Kashmiri Pandits and their safe and honorable resettlement is innate to establishing lasting peace and tranquility in the abode of rishis and saints popularly known as Raeshwaer.
(The author is President Kashmiri Pandit sabha Jammu.)
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